


Never Stop Fighting

by Hexalys



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, OC-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-02 14:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 34,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19200922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexalys/pseuds/Hexalys
Summary: Waking up as an infant is horrifying—Rose knows this well. However, learning she's been reborn into a world where her favorite TV show is real, kind of made up for it. Barely. At least she gets to meet Rumpelstiltskin.OC/?, Swan Thief, Rumbelle, Snowing, Outlaw Queen, and a bunch of others.





	1. Once Upon A Time...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose has been waiting for Henry Mills to show up on their doorstep for years.

_January 9, 1982: Enchanted Forest_

Reincarnation was a funny thing. This is a thought that the newborn baby currently resting in the arms of a new mother, yet maintaining the mindset and memories of another life, would ponder over endlessly in the future. For the moment however, the infant's thoughts circled about slowly, bleak, broken, and stagnant—coming in like static.

' _What's… going… on…?_ ' She tried to remember where she was, what she'd been doing, but the answers slipped away too quickly and she didn't have the focus or energy to reel them back in. Giving it up as a lost cause for now, her mind stumbled to provide her with information for what was immediately happening to her instead. She was… being held in a weird way and she felt… smaller?

She grunted, frustrated, because she had enough brain power left to know that didn't make any sense. Yet as she attempted to move, wiggling only slightly, she found that she was indeed being held in the arms of somebody else. Her oddly numb awareness finally registered that she was sticky, wet, and cold. She tried opening her eyes, a task she'd never found so hard before, only able to manage squinting in the end. The light, though dim, blinded her and she could only see the vaguest of shapes and colors.

"Look at you." A voice, a woman's her mind sluggishly deduced, cooed from above her, belonging to the shaking arms that held her securely, offering warmth that she so dearly needed. "You're so beautiful." She could only see the woman as a blur of gray, white, and brown near the top. She blinked, hoping it would help clear things up, but her eyelids felt so heavy that she found herself fighting to get them open again. She suddenly felt very tired, but stubbornly refused, too confused to let herself fall asleep without knowing what was going on. The woman gasped softly from overhead. "Oh, you have your papa's eyes."

The woman's voice had a strange accent to it. She felt like she'd heard it before, but mentally struggled to put a name on it. ' _Maybe… my… brain's… sleepy… too..._ ' The woman readjusted her and an itchy fabric—a blanket she realized after a long moment—was wrapped around her body. She made a noise of protest, finding that the blanket hurt her skin, chaffing it roughly. When the woman merely tucked the blanket around her more tightly, she grunted again. The resulting noise finally registered in her mind, sounding much too high-pitched to have come from her. The woman hushed her quietly.

"You have to stay silent sweetheart, or else the guards will hear you." There was a trembling tenor in her words, as if she were on the brink of tears. "Regina can't know about you." That was an odd name and it strangely reminded her of something. But her mind was slow to understand why, still gradually processing everything around her. "I love you so much." Something wet hit her forehead, but it was quickly brushed away as something warm and soft pressed against her skin. "It's why I have to send you away."

' _Send… me… away… what…?_ ' Unintelligible words left her and she was annoyed that even her mouth refused to cooperate. The woman let out a small sob, simultaneously bringing her closer to her chest.

"It's not that I don't want you. You should be with me and your papa, but–" She took a deep breath and gave a watery chuckle. "I'm being held prisoner and who knows what Regina would do to you if she found out." She didn't understand what the woman was talking about and tried to say as much. More nonsensical noise spilled out of her mouth, along with a glob of spit much to her embarrassment, but the woman wiped it away gently as she continued. "She'd take you away from me a-and try to use you against your p-papa. The least I can d-do is get you away f-from h-her."

Something clicked in the back of her head as her brain picked up on the word papa. Dread pooled in her stomach, panic made her want to move. She tried to sit up, but her arms, no matter how much she willed them, remained stuck under the itchy blanket. She wanted to shout and yell as she realized what had happened to her. She didn't only because she was afraid her anger would come out as nothing more than an infant's cries. ' _I'm… not… a… baby…_ ' She remembered that much at least, remembered being an adult. Before she could do much more though, a knock from nearby caused the woman to flinch, curling around her protectively.

"It's just me." A male's voice with another strange accent muttered. He sounded muffled, as if he were speaking through a wall. The woman sighed in obvious relief, her grip loosening a little. A creak and light footsteps echoed. She tried to raise her head and made a frustrated noise as she could barely move. The woman readjusted her though, setting her in the crick of her arm and tilting her upwards slightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you with the birthing." The woman shifted and she could only assume that she'd made some sort of gesture to the man. "Is the baby alright?"

"She's fine, but she hasn't cried yet." There was a pause, as if the woman was unsure of what that meant. ' _I… won't… cry…_ ' She promised the woman silently. She knew she wasn't a baby—she wasn't going to act like one.

"That's a good thing. I doubt the guards on the lower levels would miss a newborn's wails." The man commented as he appeared to the left of her vision, just another splash of dull colors with nothing definite. The man made a surprised noise. "Her eyes! They're–"

"His." The woman interrupted sternly. "She has his eyes. I think they're beautiful." Another brief moment of silence followed and with it, the drowsiness from before returned, her panic reluctantly fading away as she yawned. ' _Too… tired… but…_ ' She thought blearily. ' _I… don't… want… to… sleep…_ ' "Would you like to hold her?" Her tone was notably softer.

"What? Oh, no, no. I think it's best if I don't." The man said, sounding nervous judging by the way his voice cracked a little. "What's her name?"

"You know, I really had no idea what to call her." The woman answered, her much larger hand brushing over her head. "I've thought of so many different names from all the books I've read... He always said names were important." She couldn't hold back the second yawn and against her will, her eyes shut.

"I never had a name." The man replied quietly. "I never needed one." It seemed the woman didn't know how to respond to that. "If we're going to get her out of here, I need to go now while the Queen is away from the castle." A sniff came from the woman, the trembling of her body doubling almost instantly. She felt herself being lowered into something. She wanted to wrench her eyes open, but she could feel her body giving in to sleep.

"You'll take care of her?" The woman whispered.

"I cannot leave the castle without the Queen's permission." He sounded pained as he admitted this. "However, my friend can get her out." The woman was crying now. "Regina will not find her, Belle. I promise." The woman's hand came back, resting on her stomach. As she drifted off, she heard her voice one last time.

"…Rose, I want her name to be Rose." 

* * *

_October 22, 2011: Boston, MA_

"I'm back!" Rose quickly ducked down at hearing the voice of her roommate, trying to make as little noise as possible. Her split-second decision to surprise Emma for her birthday would've been a lot more affective if she hadn't left the lights on. "And I brought dinner." She could see Emma's legs appear at the other side of the counter, the heels she'd worn for her 'date' flung off haphazardly to the side. "Rose?"

"Surprise!" She shouted as she jumped up, chuckling slightly as Emma nearly dropped the takeout container in her hands.

"Jesus!" The taller woman quickly righted herself, tossing Rose a mild glare. "Way to give me a heart attack."

"Happy birthday, Emma." She replied, completely unrepentant as she smirked impishly, unique amber eyes sparkling with mischief. Turning towards the refrigerator, she quickly pulled out the small cake she'd picked up a few hours ago. Her smirk spread, becoming a wide smile as she presented the desert, not missing the way Emma's face pulled into a softer expression.

"Thanks Rose." She said lowly, her gaze focused on the vanilla frosted cake. Rose shook her head dismissively, already pulling out a spare candle from last year and lighting it.

"Like I wasn't going to get you a cake for your birthday? Now make a wish, so I can give you your present!" Smiling, Emma bent down, closing her vibrant green eyes before mumbling something under her breath and blowing out the candle. Then the doorbell rang and Rose, despite expecting it, froze. Excitement and nauseas battled for dominance in her stomach. Emma stared at the candle for a second, then the door, before glancing up at her.

"Please tell me you didn't hire another striper." She muttered before turning back to the front door with a grimace.

"After your reaction last year?" Rose scoffed. "You nearly shot the poor guy!"

"He hid in my room with the lights off! I thought it was a break-in." The blonde argued before moving to answer the door. Rose waved off her reply, leaning against the counter and eyeing the blonde's back until she disappeared around the corner. She strained her ears to listen, holding her breath as a young muffled voice spoke. She stilled as a boy she knew, though she'd never actually met him before, stepped into the kitchen. Emma stood behind him, her hands fidgeting at her sides and looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.

Rose tried not to stare, to not feel desperately relieved, or to tug out her hair from the sheer madness of it all. She'd known Henry was coming today, she'd reread her old notebook numerous times throughout the week. But his arrival was evidence, more tangible proof that she wasn't crazy. That she was somebody before she was Rose. And that shit was about to get a whole lot crazier.

"Who are you?" Henry asked with a straightforwardness that instantly reminded her of Emma. His big hazel eyes narrowed slightly as he looked her over curiously.

"Uh, Rose…" She glanced at her roomate briefly, pretending to be confused. "Who are you?"

"I'm Henry. I'm Emma's son." He answered with a light shrug, dropping his backpack to the floor as he glanced over the room. Emma's eyes, remarkably, got even wider and she opened her mouth for a second before shutting it, obviously not knowing what to say.

"Oh." Rose replied after a painfully awkward beat of silence. ' _I'm honestly not really sure how to respond here. I should've planned this encounter out better._ ' She slowly pulled the cake towards herself, plucking out the candle, watching him carefully as she assessed the situation. "…Do you want a piece of cake?"

"Rose!" Emma hissed before turning to the boy with a flat look. "Kid, I don't have a son." He seemed rather unimpressed with that as he continued to examine the large two-bedroom apartment. "Where're your parents?"

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" He asked and the blonde suddenly went very still. "That was me."

"Give me a minute." Emma replied as she stiffly stormed out of the room. Henry's gaze turned to Rose and she automatically found herself looking for any physical traits he'd inherited from his parents. ' _God, he totally has Emma's chin._ ' She thought as she looked at the boy more closely. ' _And he's got Neal's nose._ ' His hazel eyes didn't come from either of his parents though. Maybe he'd inherited them from a grandparent? His brown hair was a few shades lighter than Neal's had been, but it could darken with age.

"So, how 'bout that cake?" She asked while gesturing at the treat. "And, uh, happy belated birthday?" He'd been born September 15. Emma always grew melancholy that day, a Bad Day, they called it. He beamed, accepting the slice happily.

"Thanks! Do you have any juice?" Rose nodded and turned to the fridge, pulling the carton out before sliding it over to him. She'd begun to pull out a glass, but stopped at seeing Henry drink straight from the carton. ' _Yep, he's definitely Neal's kid._ ' Emma chose that moment to step out of the bathroom, looking a little more solid as she approached her son. "You know we should probably get going."

"Going where?" Emma asked as she crossed her arms and tilted her head, looking cool and collected. Rose knew that stance well—Emma made it whenever she felt defensive. She decided to say nothing and instead cut Henry a piece of cake before handing it to the boy.

"I want you to come home with me." Rose held back a cringe at his bluntness. ' _And there's Emma's side peeking through again._ ' She thought humorously.

"Okay kid, I'm calling the cops." She walked past them briskly, picking up the phone.

"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me." Henry announced, looking a little smug with himself before taking a bite out of his cake. Emma froze before scowling.

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birthmother."

"Yep." Emma turned to look at him, studying him intently for a moment before speaking.

"You're not gonna do that."

"Try me."

"You're pretty good, but here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill." She raised an eyebrow. "Let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying, and you kid, are." He looked up at Rose, who nodded solemnly.

"It's true. She's a human lie detector." However, Emma's superpower, which Rose had long since suspected to be more magic-based than just good instincts, didn't work on her for whatever reason. It had been a source of a lot of frustration for the blonde over the years.

"Wait, please don't call the cops!" Henry exclaimed just as Emma began to dial, sounding unsure for the first time since stepping into their apartment. "Please. Come home with me."

"Where's home?" Emma asked before setting down the phone.

"Storybrooke, Maine." He sighed, his little shoulders slumping in relief. Rose had to hand it to the kid. It took a lot of guts to travel as far as he did on his own, searching for someone who'd given him up at birth.

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" She repeated, disbelief filling her tone.

"Mm-mph." The boy nodded.

"Okay, I'll get you back to Storybrooke."

"Whoohoo, road trip!" Rose shouted as she lifted a fist into the air. The blonde didn't look at all surprised that she'd invited herself along for the ride, just resigned.

"I'm going to change and then we'll get going." Emma stated before heading to her bedroom without another word. Henry looked after her worriedly, but stayed in the kitchen, biting his lip before turning to Rose.

"How long have you known Emma?" He asked, tone turning a touch suspicious. She wondered what Henry thought of her.

"Pretty much all our lives." She shrugged, putting both the cake and the takeout into the fridge. "We grew up together. We're sisters." She explained, licking a bit of frosting off of her fingers. "We adopted each other."

"So…" Henry began, head bent low over his plate. "Would that make you, like… my aunt?" She blinked, once again taken aback by his candor, but smirked anyways.

"Sure kiddo." She replied easily. He peered up at her, taking another bite of his cake and Rose caught him staring before his gaze quickly dropped to the floor. "What's up?"

"It's just—I've never seen eyes like yours before. They're pretty."

"Thanks Henry, they're called amber." She smiled at his sincerity. "I'm gonna go grab some things, okay?" Walking down the hall, Rose paused outside of Emma's door, knocking lightly. "Hey Swan Lake, can I come in?" It opened with no resistance and she quietly closed it behind her as she studied her younger sister. Emma sat on the edge of her bed, hands twisting a shirt harshly as her eyes stared unseeingly at the floor.

Rose sat next to her, saying nothing. Emma wasn't the type of person who responded to questions, it had always made her feel like she was being attacked. She had learned long ago that the best way to comfort the other woman was to stay silent, but nearby. Simply offering a shoulder to lean on and being patient. When Emma wanted to talk, she would. After about five minutes, the Savior took a deep breath, her shoulders shuddering slightly.

"I–" She hesitated for a second. "I just don't get it. How'd he find me? It was supposed to be a closed adoption."

"Well, he is your kid and finding people is sort of what you do for a living." Rose remarked lightly, hoping that pointing out similarities between them would help. Emma shook her head, eyes pinched shut, frowning.

"I never thought I would see him again, you know?" She whispered softly, as if she were afraid to admit it.

"Well, he's here now." She commented kindly, nudging the blonde gently. "And we can't just stick him on a bus and pretend this whole thing never happened." Emma stiffened guiltily, but Rose continued as if she hadn't noticed. "Now we have to go all the way to Maine to take him home." She gave a mock sigh of disappointment, crossing her arms. "I guess I'll have to call that stripper and tell him not to show up." Emma snorted and Rose could see some of the tension leave her as she rolled her eyes fondly. "Remember, no matter what happens, I always got your back."

"I know." She said before turning back to her packing. Getting up, Rose crossed the bedroom, pausing at the door as Emma continued. "Thanks for always being here. Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I imagine you'd get along just fine." Rose replied with an easy smile. She stepped into the hallway, catching sight of Henry who sat at the table, finishing off his cake. He glanced up at her, frowning, and she gave him a thumbs up before heading to her own room. Closing the door behind her, Rose quickly took three long strides to her bed, pulling out an old yellowing notebook hidden under her mattress. The first twenty pages consisted of childish scribbles and short, messy sentences that meant nothing. On the twenty-first page however, was something of a rough timeline, and her eyes traveled over the first passage fervently even though she'd read it just a few hours ago.

_E1: In 2011, Henry gets Emma on her 28th birthday and they go to Storybrooke. Regina has it out for Emma. Emma decides to stay in Storybrooke for a little longer. Gold appears at the end of the episode._

She frowned, once again feeling annoyed at her younger self for not having written down more information. But it couldn't be helped; time had taken its toll on her memoires even back then. Still, she tried to remember something else now, hoping that seeing Henry might have jumpstarted her brain. An old panic gripped her, as it usually did whenever she tried to remember something.

Her past life was a blur in most ways. At best she could recall that she'd had two parents and was certain that she'd had an extended family through them. However, she couldn't remember her grandparents, uncles, aunts or cousins. Couldn't remember what her parents had looked like or their names—nor her own name, or even her age. Rose had long since concluded that she had amnesia of some kind. Perhaps her death or being reborn had been too traumatic for her mind.

This fear of forgetting everything was what had drove her to write out the events to Once Upon a Time. Of course that was after she'd met Emma and realized just how unusual her rebirth was. And by then a handful of years had already passed since she'd last seen the show.

Rose concentrated hard, drawing forth a fuzzy memory of Emma somehow ending up in jail at some point in the episode. ' _Not very helpful, but hopefully I won't need to know anymore._ ' Setting the notebook aside, she pulled out a book bag she'd long since stopped using and packed a spare outfit and some sleeping clothes. Rose knew that they wouldn't be leaving Storybrooke, not if things went how they're supposed to, but bringing a suitcase would be suspicious. ' _I'll buy us new clothes if we need it._ '

Carefully tucking her old notebook into her bag and zipping it up, she crossed the room and slipped on a dark blue leather jacket that was the same style as Emma's signature red one. She'd bought Emma's coat years ago after confronting Cleo's kid. Swan Lake had returned the favor in kind a year later by picking out a similar one.

Looking over her room, Rose's gaze landed on two picture frames on her bed-stand, and she nearly smacked herself for almost forgetting them. Setting her bag down, she picked up the older one. The picture was of her from when she'd been three years old, sitting happily on the lap of the man who'd taken her into his home. She set it inside her bag gently before turning to the second photograph. This one had been taken eleven years ago, with her, Emma, and Neal sitting on the hood of the yellow beetle. She knew Emma didn't like this photo, and she tried to keep it out of sight most of the time, but Rose refused to get rid of it.

' _I wonder what I'll do when I see Neal again?_ ' He'd broken Emma's heart and gotten them arrested after all, but she also knew that Emma still loved him. For that matter, so did she. Rose had never had any siblings in her past life, so she'd come to see Neal as a brother. But that had also made his betrayal all the more painful. ' _Probably kick him in the balls._ ' She decided with a firm nod. She hadn't forgiven him, but she didn't resent him nearly as much as she should either.

"Hey Rose, you ready yet?" Emma called from the kitchen. Quickly stuffing the frame into her bag, Rose left her room without taking a second glance. The apartment had never felt like much of a home to her. No place she and Emma had stayed in ever had.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Emma stood some feet away from Henry and had changed out of her dress. Now she wore black jeans, a see-through long-sleeved gray shirt with a white tank top underneath, and her red jacket. Rose looked over the room, spotting a splash of color on the coffee table. "I almost forgot!" She shouted, jumping over the couch clumsily, catching herself before she could fall to the floor, and held up the item triumphantly. "Here ya go!" She cheered as she handed over the present. Emma accepted it, tearing the paper off and smiling widely.

"Wow, you actually listened to me this year." The blonde remarked as she held up an iPhone and Rose smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, I love it."

"I already downloaded your music and you'll be on my plan for the next three years so you're all set." Henry looked up at her curiously. "I kind of have a habit of going overboard when it comes to gifts." She muttered. "I was this close to also getting you the latest laptop from Microsoft." She admitted, laughing at the grimace on her sister's face. "Oh speaking of, have you seen my laptop bag?"

"Behind the sofa." She hummed in thanks before grabbing it and securing it over her shoulder. "You don't need it. We're not staying long." Emma said as she tucked her new phone into her coat pocket and Rose shrugged. ' _A lot longer than you think, my dear Savior._ ' The blonde made an irritated noise as she caught sight of Rose's backpack in her hand. "And why do you have that?"

"What? You know me, I overpack for everything." She replied, smiling a bit goofily. "And I'm bringing my laptop because I might be inspired by this surprise road trip." Emma didn't argue, but let out a rather exhausted sounding sigh.

"Inspired for what?" Henry asked as he followed them out of the apartment.

"I'm a writer." Rose answered simply, but he was already looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Really? Have you written anything famous?"

"Oh, nothing too special." Emma threw her a skeptical look, but didn't say anything otherwise. "My target audience is a little older than you, so I doubt you've read anything I've written. What kind of stories do you like?" She asked, almost as an afterthought, knowing that there was only one book Henry was into at the moment.

"I like fairytales." He admitted, clutching the strap of his backpack tightly. Rose chuckled, feeling positively mischievous as she winked at the boy.

"Me too, kiddo." They took the stairs to get to the complex's parking lot, the walk down being awkwardly quiet, despite hers and Henry's attempts at making smalltalk. As they reached the car, Rose looked down at him as they stood next to the passenger's door. "Wanna play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets shotgun?" She offered and Henry smiled.

"Sure, but I have to warn you, I never lose." He held out a fist, making no attempt to hide his smug smile. "It's sorta like my own superpower." Rose gave him a mock glare.

"I'll have you know, that no one has ever beaten me in rock-paper-scissors. I'm the reigning champion."

"Then you're going to have to hand that title over to me when I kick your butt." He retorted.

"Could you two stop trash talking each other and just do it already?" Emma broke in from where she sat in the driver's seat, amusement filling her tone. Ten minutes later, Rose was sitting in the back seat, shifting uncomfortably, before leaning forwards to frown at Henry.

"I will win next time." She promised and Emma chuckled.

"You're welcome to try." He returned with a smile before looking out the window as they passed by a McDonald's. "I'm hungry, wanna stop somewhere?" Rose nodded in agreement.

"Good idea."

"No, not a good idea. We're not stopping for snacks." The Savior replied, her voice losing its good humor.

"Why not?"

"Yeah, why not?" She repeated, ignoring the glare Emma directed at her. "In case you forgot, I haven't eaten dinner yet." Her stomach chose that moment to give a low, but noticeable growl.

"I brought you dinner." The blonde pointed out firmly.

"Yeah, and then Henry showed up. Forgive me for becoming a little distracted." She muttered sourly as she leaned back, slumping in defeat. "I didn't even get any cake."

"Quite complaining, you were the one who said we couldn't put the kid on a bus." Emma glanced at her in the mirror, raising an eyebrow suggestively. "You know, we still could."

"You know I have a name, it's Henry." The ten-year-old mumbled before pulling out a familiar book from his bag. Rose secretly stared at it with awe. ' _It's the book! Oh man, what I wouldn't give to get my hands on that._ ' He propped it open in his lap, flipping through the pages lazily and Emma looked back at Rose, frowning. She rolled her eyes and silently gestured for her to talk to Henry.

"What's that?" Emma asked as she glanced at the book curiously before turning back to the road.

"I'm not sure you're ready." He said seriously as he lowered his head and bit his lip.

"Ready for some fairytales?" She remarked doubtfully.

"They're not fairytales, they're true. Every story in this book actually happened." Henry replied quickly as he looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

"Of course it did." The blonde sighed and Rose had to resist the urge to kick the back of her seat. ' _Jesus, Emma. You could at least try humoring the kid._ '

"Use your superpowers, see if I'm lying." Startled by his sudden confidence, Emma looked at Henry for a moment, her mouth slightly open as she studied him silently.

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true." She argued.

"That's exactly what makes it true." He countered firmly. Rose decided to let that comment slide seeing as Henry was indeed right about the book. "You should know more than anyone."

"Why's that?" She asked, smirking a little.

"Because, you're in this book." Smirk quickly turning into a frown, Emma shook her head.

"Oh kid, do you have problems." At that, Rose stopped resisting and kicked the back of Emma's seat, sending her sister a disapproving look. Henry had fortunately misunderstood what Emma had meant though, because he just nodded his head and smiled.

"Yup, and you're gonna fix'em." She looked at him in bewilderment and Rose only just stopped herself from snickering. It was silent for a few minutes before she groaned in boredom, flopping down in the seat as she pulled out her own iPhone.

"Sorry, but I can't stand silent car rides." Rose explained when Henry twisted around to look back at her. Turning the volume up to its max, and set her phone on her stomach, humming as a classic rock song started playing. From her spot, she could see one of Emma's fingers tapping against the steering wheel, matching the beat perfectly, while Henry's head nodded along.

* * *

_January 9, 1982: Enchanted Forest_

When she next awoke, it was just as confusing as the first time. She felt herself being carried, though not in someone's arms. She swung back and forth, the motion jarring and lacking any rhythm. It made her dizzy and she grunted in complaint. ' _No… more… moving…_ ' Whoever was carrying her stopped and she felt whatever she was laying in being set down. Now that she wasn't being distracted with motion sickness, she noticed just how cold and hungry she was.

Forcing her eyes open was a chore, but she managed, squinting harshly at the bright light that greeted her. She heard loud sniffing noises, there was movement to her left, and a mass of white and gray suddenly appeared above her. Something black, cold, and damp nudged her and she managed to wiggle an arm out of the itchy blanket, trying to push it away. Instead, something long, pink, and wet appeared from nowhere, running up against the length of her arm. ' _Ew… that's… gross…_ ' She shuddered, not only from the new wetness of her arm, but also because of the temperature.

It was freezing.

Two different colors shone brightly against the mass of white and gray. One black circle while the other was red. She blinked, but the confusing image stayed above her. She looked past the figure, catching colors of brown and more white. She shivered, fidgeting where she lay. ' _It's… so… cold…_ ' She thought slowly, wishing she had more than just a thin, scratchy blanket to keep warm. Her eyes instinctively looked for that woman from before, but it seemed neither she nor the man were nearby. It was only this strange, new person above her.

She was about to ask where the other two were, forgetting for the moment that she couldn't actually speak, but the sound of something snapping nearby caught their attention. She heard a growl, like the kind that came from a dog, and then the stranger was gone. Barking filled the air and she felt her heart hammering against her chest. The dog didn't sound friendly at all, so she stayed silent, determined not to make herself a target. There was more barking, and it sounded like two more dogs had joined the first. She shivered, hoping the figure would come back soon.

And then, all of a sudden, everything became very quiet for a few moments.

A low noise caught her attention; whistling. She listened closely as it grew louder, almost as if the source was coming towards her. The wind picked up violently, tearing through the air so deafeningly it made her want to cover her ears. A flash of bright neon green appeared in the corner of her vision and she felt, whatever she was in, being lifted up into the air. Terrified and unsure of what was going on, she broke her promise to not cry and shut her eyes, screaming as loud as she could. 

* * *

_October 22, 2011: Storybrooke_

"Hey, wake up." Rose made a face as Emma's voice dragged her out of the dream she'd been having. It was a recurring one that she'd had her whole life. Two differently colored eyes, one black and the other red, the wind roaring viciously, and a blinding green light were mashed together in a messy sequence that always caused her to sleep restlessly. Yawning, she blinked rapidly while stretching as best as she could in the tiny car. "We're here." Sure enough, she looked out the window to see small, weathered buildings on either side of the street, instantly giving it that small town feeling. "Okay kid, where do you live?"

"Forty-four, I'm-not-telling-you street." Henry replied smartly and Emma slammed on the breaks. Rose, who'd just been sitting up, smacked her head against the car door.

"Damnit Emma!" She growled as she rubbed the side of her head. Her sister paid her no mind as she climbed out of the car fuming, shutting her door hard and causing the small vehicle to jerk in her wake. Rose crawled out behind Henry, lazily propping herself on the other side of the car, ignoring the night's encroaching chilliness as she watched her two companions. She yawned again, catching the time on her watch, and groaned as she saw that it was already a quarter past midnight.

"Look, it's been a long night, it's almost… 8:15?" Emma started to say as she crossed her arms and looked up at the clock above the library in confusion.

"It's actually 12:13, if that helps any." She supplied drowsily and Emma groaned with good reason. The trip had been about three and a half hours long. ' _And she thinks we have to drive all the way back._ '

"That clock hasn't moved in my whole life. Time's frozen here." Henry explained as he looked up at the two of them. There was a moment of silence where Emma looked at her with wide eyes before turning back to him, failing to hide her unease. ' _You're coming on a little too strong there, kid._ ' Rose thought with an inward cringe as the boy once again displayed his astounding bluntness.

"Excuse me?" Emma asked quietly, perhaps hoping that she'd misheard him.

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here." Henry continued, not at all deterred by the look on his birthmother's face.

"Hang on, an evil queen sent a bunch of fairytale characters here?"

"Yeah, and now they're trapped." He nodded.

"Frozen in time and stuck in Storybrooke, Maine." She gave Rose a helpless look before readdressing her son, doubt filling her tone. "That's what you're going with?"

"It's true." He said imploringly.

"Then why doesn't everybody just leave?" Emma huffed, her already limited patience seemingly reaching its end.

"They can't. If they try, bad things happen."

"Henry!" A new voice broke up the conversation before it could have a chance to get worse and the three turned to see a red-haired man with glasses approach the car. He was wearing a dark brown suit, with an umbrella in his right hand and a Dalmatian trailing behind him. Rose eyed him, trying to remember who he was exactly. He seemed familiar, but she just couldn't place a name with the face, nor could she guess who his fairytale counterpart was. "What are you doing here?" He sent a wary look at Emma, and Rose walked around the bug, coming to a stop on Henry's other side. This caused the man's eyes to jump to her almost immediately, wariness exuding from his body. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine Archie." Henry answered and Rose just managed to stop herself from snapping her fingers in recognition. It was Jiminy Cricket in human form. ' _Damn it, I couldn't even remember what he looked like._ ' Her failing memory was beginning to become a problem. Henry quickly bent down to pet the dog, most likely so that he could avoid making eye contact with his therapist. Rose honestly couldn't blame the kid. If Emma wasn't already thinking that he was a fruit loop, then the revelation of his connection with Archie most certainly would.

"Uh, who are they?" He asked gingerly, eyeing both her and Emma with uncertainty

"Oh, this is my mom, Archie." The boy answered as he gestured to Emma before doing the same to Rose. "And this is my aunt." He completely missed the shock that spread across Emma's face as she shifted uncomfortably. Archie reeled back slightly, looking unsure of what to say. Rose just smiled, ruffling Henry's hair a little.

"Oh… I see."

"Do you know where he lives?" Emma asked, clearly eager to get this whole thing over with.

"Yeah, sure. Just, uh, right up on Mifflin Street." Archie answered as he pointed over his shoulder. "The mayor's house is the biggest one on the block." Henry ducked his head even further, feet shuffling slightly on the wet pavement.

"You're the mayor's kid?" Emma said, sounding more resigned than anything else.

"Um, maybe." He replied quietly.

"That's got to be fun." Rose scoffed, easily brushing off Emma's glare as she nudged the boy playfully.

"Hey, where were you today Henry? You missed our session." Archie stated and Henry straightened up, sticking his hands into his pocket as his eyes drifted to the side.

"Oh, well, I forgot to tell you… I went on a field trip." The human-turned-cricket-turned-human gave a frown before crouching down to be at eye-level.

"Henry, what did I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's darkside never accomplishes anything."

"Technically, he didn't lie." Rose interrupted and Archie looked up at her, bemused. "The kid didn't explicitly say that he went on a school field trip." She argued and Henry peeked up at her from under his bangs, smiling slightly. The psychiatrist didn't seem to know how to respond as he stared up at her, gaping slightly. "I mean, a four-hour bus ride could count as a field trip, right? Granted it was an unapproved one, and his answer was very broad, but it wasn't a lie."

"Okay." Emma cut in, exaggerating the 'o' sound a little and sending her a look that Rose interpreted as a silent cue to shut up. "Well, we really should be getting him home."

"Yeah, sure." Archie stood up, nodding to both Emma and Henry, while giving Rose a measuring glance. "Well, listen, um, have a good night, and uh, you be good Henry." He patted Henry on the shoulder once before walking off, whistling "Give A Little Whistle" from Disney's Pinocchio. Wow, subtle.

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all." Rose muttered sarcastically, grunting when an elbow dug into her side.

"So, that's your shrink." Emma stated.

"I'm not crazy." Henry cut in sharply and she felt a rush of empathy for the kid. Those first few years she'd struggled to convince herself that she wasn't crazy. Memories of her previous life had clashed with her new one, and she'd had knowledge about things that hadn't even come into existence yet. Then when she'd met Emma, a whole new kind of realization had set in on her. She'd been reborn into a television show she'd used to watch. How was that not crazy?

"Didn't say that." Rose made a face at her sister's back, because that had sounded exactly what Emma had been insinuating. "Just… he doesn't seem cursed to me."

"All therapists are quacks anyways." She mumbled, dodging Emma's next jab as she stepped behind Henry, who chuckled lightly. "It's true! They're not even real doctors!"

"What I mean," Emma growled before turning back to Henry. "is maybe he's just trying to help you?"

"He's the one who needs help, because he doesn't know."

"That he's a fairytale character?" She repeated skeptically.

"None of them do." Henry explained calmly, oddly patient with Emma's blatant disbelief. "They don't remember who they are." He got back into the car, this time sliding into the backseat, and Emma sighed.

"Convenient." She remarked. Rose refrained from saying anything to avoid getting elbowed again and hopped into the passenger's seat, handing back Henry's backpack to him. "All right, I'll play. Who's he supposed to be?" Emma asked as she got into the car and turned on the engine.

"Jiminy Cricket." She nodded her head.

"Right, the lying thing. I thought your nose grew a little bit." Henry frowned at her sarcasm.

"I'm not Pinocchio."

"Of course you're not 'cause that would be ridiculous." Emma retorted, exasperation filling her tone.

"If you're not Pinocchio, then who is?" Rose asked and he shrugged. ' _Ah, August._ ' She had more than a few bones to pick with her fellow writer. She's pretty sure that she'll probably punch him in the face for all the crap he did to Emma and Neal.

"I don't know, I haven't exactly figured out who everyone is yet. But now that Emma's here, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon." She smiled at the excitement in his voice. The two continued to talk about the book, the Evil Queen's Curse, and the people who Henry had already managed to identify, when they pulled up in front of a huge house.

"This is where you live?" Emma asked, taken aback by the impressive home. He nodded, looking up at it in dislike. "Well c'mon then." She left the car and Rose shared a grim look with him before they hurried after her.

"Please don't take me back there." Henry begged as a last effort.

"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

"I don't have parents—just a mom, and she's evil." He argued as he glared at the ground.

"Evil? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" Emma said as she turned to him, raising a brow.

"Wait. Are we talking step-mother evil from Cinderella, or Jason Voorhees's mom kind of evil?" Rose asked as she came to a halt next to the two. "Cause if it's the latter, then I am not going anywhere near the woman." Emma made a frustrated expression while Henry looked up at her in confusion.

"Who's Jason Voorhees?" Before either of them could respond, the front door flung open with a smartly dressed woman rushing out to greet them. Regina was a person Rose could easily identify as she'd spent the first two seasons hating her guts. ' _Ugh, I can't believe I'll have to put up with her bullshit until Henry gets kidnapped._ '

"Henry?!" The Evil Queen shouted as she hugged her adoptive and unresponsive son. "Oh, are you okay?" She pulled him away from her, hands gripping his small shoulders tightly. Rose wondered if anyone else besides her had noticed the pained grimace that had flashed across his face. "Where have you been?!" She stood up, eyeing both her and Emma. "What happened?"

"I found my real mom!" He shouted as he barreled past her and ran into the house. Regina stood stunned for a second before she turned to them, stuttering slightly.

"H-Henry's birthmother?" She stuttered, gaping at them uncomprehendingly and Rose quickly shook her head before pointing at Emma, stepping off to the side. She caught sight of a blue-eyed man with dark brown hair standing a few feet behind Regina. She studied him silently, trying to remember who he was and failing.

"Hi." Emma greeted with an awkward smile.

"I'll just go and check on the lad, make sure he's all right." The man—the Huntsman, Rose recalled with a slight jolt—muttered before following after Henry.

' _Lucky bastard,_ ' she thought humorlessly, ' _using the kid as an escape route to avoid the awkwardness._ ' Oh, and it was uncomfortable. Regina continued to stare at Emma for several more seconds, her gaze regaining its edge as she assessed the blonde. Emma, for her credit, stood there quietly as she waited for Regina to finish. The Queen's eyes jumped from her to Rose, narrowing a few fractions, before she shook her head and smiled sharply at them. Rose held back a frown, knowing that smile never meant anything good for those on the receiving end.

"How would you two like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?" Regina asked, her tone inviting and completely lacking any anger that she was no doubt feeling.

"Got anything stronger?" The Savior replied dryly. "Emma Swan." She continued as she held out a hand to Regina. The handshake that followed was very brief and the Queen then turned to her, eyebrow raised expectantly.

"And I'm Rose Booker, Emma's older sister." She said while offering her own hand in greeting. It was at that moment when Regina must've gotten a good look at her eyes, because her posture went rigid. Rose knew that her eyes could be unnerving sometimes, especially when a flicker of light caught them just right. Regina recovered quickly though and gave them measuring glances.

"Sisters, huh? Odd, you don't look related." Despite not wanting to, Rose had to admit that was true.

Emma's facial structure was more chiseled with a feminine touch softening her features. While her own face was narrow and all sharp angles, though complimented with a small, delicate nose. Skin tone wise, she was a few shades tanner than Emma, who had a pale complexion. Their eyes were different too, with Emma's a pretty green while hers were an unusual yellow-brown color. As for height, Emma had a few inches on her due to good genetics, standing at 5'6". Meanwhile, she was in the shorter end of the gene pool at 5'3".

The only thing they had in common was having blonde hair, which Rose purposefully dyed. Yet even then there were still differences. Emma's hairstyle was long and had some naturally loose curls. Rose's shorter style was mostly straight, save for an unmanageable wave that caused her hair to flare outwards unless she pulled it into a low ponytail, like she usually did. Her natural color was a striking russet-brown, but she'd grown tired of everyone always giving her funny looks whenever she'd introduced herself as Emma's sister. At least with blonde hair people usually accepted what she said at face value.

"I guess we look about as similar as Henry does to you." Rose retorted lightly, unable to resist taking her own shot as Regina's insult had struck a sore spot. From the corner of her eye she could see Emma throwing her a warning look, but she remained unmoved as she frowned at the woman. It was worth it to see the Evil Queen's demeanor falter for a few seconds.

"Well," she coughed to clear her throat and let go of her hand. "I'm Regina Mills, the mayor." She smiled at them again, too much teeth against dark red lipstick. "Please, come inside." They followed Regina into the house, preferring to wait in the entryway as she left to get them some glasses. Rose shared a look with Emma as they took in the expensive décor. Regina entered the nearby dining room, and the amber eyed woman leaned against the wall, watching carefully as the devious mayor fixed their drinks.

"How did he find me?" Emma asked after a moment, while leaning against the doorway.

"No idea." Regina answered honestly. "When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed. I was told the birthmother didn't want to have any contact."

"You were told right." Emma confirmed as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

"And the father?" Regina prodded.

"There was one." She murmured quietly.

"Do I need to be worried about him?"

"Nope. He doesn't even know." Regina walked towards them, three glasses grouped together in her hands. Emma took two before handing one over to Rose.

"Do I need to be worried about you, Ms. Swan?" The blonde frowned.

"Absolutely not." Footsteps caught the group's attention and Rose turned to see the Huntsman coming down the stairs.

"Madame Mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."

"Thank you, sheriff." He nodded to them before letting himself out of the house. "I'm sorry he dragged you out of your lives." Regina apologized, leading them a room across the hall and off to the side. "I really don't know what's gotten into him." The room turned out to be a small library and Regina shut the door behind them, offering them a seat like a good host.

"Kid's having a rough time. It happens." Emma replied with a shrug. ' _Especially when they find out that their adoptive mother is a Disney villain._ ' Rose added silently.

"You have to understand, ever since I became mayor, balancing things has been tricky." Regina continued, standing by the fireplace as she studied Emma intently. Rose was vaguely offended that she seemed to have been written off completely as a potential threat. Eh, she'd take advantage of not being on the receiving end of the mayor's attention for as long as it lasted. "You both have jobs I assume?"

"Uh, we keep busy, yeah." Her sister answered while Rose sipped her drink, scrunching her face up a little at the apple flavored aftertaste. ' _Great, this stuff is probably poisoned._ ' She thought irritably as she set it down on the table in front of her, determined not to drink anymore.

"Imagine having another one on top of it. That's being a single mom, so I push for order." Regina smiled while she sat down in a chair across from them. "Am I strict?" She nodded to herself. "I suppose, but I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil. Do you?"

"That depends on whether what you want for Henry matches with what he wants." Rose remarked, cringing as Emma's heel suddenly made contact with her toes.

"I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairytale thing." The Savoir said with a smile, trying to appease the woman. Regina's own grin dimmed, her eyes widening slightly. ' _That's right. We're onto you, you crazy bitch._ '

"What fairytale thing?" She asked quickly, her tone flat.

"Oh you know, his book, how he thinks everyone is a cartoon character from it? Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket." Emma chuckled, taking a sip from her drink. Regina recovered and shook her head slowly, eyebrows tugging down in puzzlement.

"I'm sorry. I really have no idea what you're talking about." Emma studied her for a moment before sighing.

"You know what? It's none of my business. He's your kid and we really should be heading back home." She commented as she took another sip of her drink. Rose had to resist the urge to smack the glass out of her hand.

"Of course." Regina replied with another smile as she stood up, clearly dismissing them. Emma raised a brow at her but said nothing as they were shown to the front door. Stopping next to the bug, Emma turned back to the house, spotting Henry at his bedroom window. He closed the curtains without waving, disappearing from sight. Rose sighed and Emma frowned at her as she sat in the driver's seat.

"Don't." She warned, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Don't what? I haven't done anything." Rose replied as she looked out the window, watching the small buildings pass by. ' _Hopefully I won't need to do anything either._ '

"You think we should stay." Emma pointed out, sounding stern.

"Well, I think you should at least get to know the kid. And give him the chance to know who you are." She responded, glancing at Emma from the corner of her eye. "But it's your decision Swan Lake. I wouldn't try to guilt trip you into something like this."

"You already are." She growled back before sighing softly. "So what'd you think of him?"

"A bit eccentric, but–" She paused for second, eyeing the other woman carefully, knowing she was about to cross a line. "He reminded me a lot of you and Neal to be honest." Emma quickly looked away, likely hurt by the comment, and she was about to apologize when something shifting around in the back seat caught her attention. "Huh." Rose leaned over to grab it, smirking as she realized what it was. ' _So this is how he got Emma to stay._ ' She set it on her lap, showing the book to her sister.

"That sneaky bastard." Rose chuckled in agreement before looking out the windshield. Her eyes widened as she spotted a wolf standing in the middle of the road.

"Look out!" She shouted. Emma gasped and hit the brakes, causing the car to skid on the wet road. They swerved and twisted before crashing into something hard, causing Rose's head to smash against the dashboard painfully. White spots exploded in her vision and it took longer than she liked for them to go away. Howling rang in her ears and she slowly turned to see the wolf run into the forest on the other side of the road.

Panting, Rose looked over at Emma, who was laid passed out against the steering wheel before checking over herself. The book was still in her hands, and she sluggishly noticed that her door had been thrown open somehow, her seatbelt having kept her from flying out of the car. Hissing in pain, Rose touched the side of her head, frowning in confusion as her fingers came back red. ' _Shit, that can't be good…_ ' Suddenly feeling too tired to keep her eyes open any longer, she slumped forwards, unconscious.

* * *

_January 14, 1982: Salem, MA_

The third time she woke up, she was confused to find herself looking up at a white ceiling instead of bright neon green. She wiggled, finding that there was a soft blanket over her, replacing the itchy one, and that she now had clothes on. She slowly became aware of how ill she felt. Her skin was hot and clammy, the back of her neck was sweaty, and a headache was settled just behind her eyes. A figure, clearer than any of the one's she'd seen before, but still blurry, appeared above her.

"Dr. Booker, the baby's awake." A female said, though not the woman from before as she lacked the accent. She tilted her head as best as she could, blinking lazily at the blurry stranger. "Oh my…"

"What is it Peggy?" A male asked as he stepped up beside the female.

"Her eyes, for a second, I thought they were gold."

"Ah, yes, her eyes are amber colored, a rare, recessive trait. A rather beautiful one too." She could barely make out the woman nodding in agreement. "Hello there little one, you've been through a rough couple of days, haven't you?" He placed a hand on her stomach. "Don't worry. We're going to take good care of you, Rose."

"Rose?" The woman asked. "I wasn't aware that she had been given a name yet."

"Ah, that's right. I forgot that you were out of town. How was the vacation by the way?" He replied, lifting his hand off of her and turning to the woman.

"Wonderful doctor, it was exactly what I needed." He hummed.

"Well we had a bit of a scandal while you were away. I'm surprised you haven't heard all about it from the other nurses yet."

"A scandal?"

"Yes, this newborn was found at the edge of town in a basket with little more than a ratty blanket." He answered and the nurse gasped. "Dreadful thing to do—it's only the beginning of January after all. She could have easily frozen to death." He disappeared for a moment coming back with something white in his hand. "Hold this for me, would you?" He handed it over to the nurse before reaching down and picking her up, setting her into the crook of his arm before taking the object back. "Thank you. Here you go Rose, I bet you're hungry."

He placed whatever it was into her mouth, soft and rubbery, and she instinctively tried to push it out by using her tongue. A liquid spilled out as a result, warm and familiar in taste. To her humiliation, she realized she was being bottle-fed by the man. She refused to drink, going so far as to duck her head as he tried to reinsert the bottle into her mouth.

"Good thing you didn't wager any money, doctor." The nurse chuckled and he made a noise in agreement.

"Hmm, seems so. Strange, she had no troubles eating before." He set the bottle aside, preferring to rock her gently instead of just laying her back down. She wrinkled her brow, not remembering being fed at all. Her head pounded painfully and she resisted the urge to moan. The doctor turned back to the nurse, clearing his throat. "You see, because of the rough conditions she was left in, it resulted with her suffering from a very high fever for the past few days. It was a bit touch and go for a while. Fortunately, it broke last night. As for her name, one of the nurses found a scrap of paper stuffed into the folds of her blanket with one word written on it."

"Rose." The woman concluded and he nodded.

"While I can't understand naming the baby you've abandoned outside in the middle of winter, the hospital has decided to keep the name." She quickly tuned the two out after that.

' _Rose… is not… my name…_ ' She thought firmly. However, dread soon set in as she realized that she couldn't remember what her name had been before. She tried hard to think, but her sudden stillness had worried to two people and they began to check her over, making her lose her tail of thought. She quickly moved onto to what she could remember. ' _Mom… Dad…_ ' And repeated it in her head like a mantra, finding herself slowly remembering more and more things about her life until she fell into a fitful sleep. 

* * *

_October 23, 2011: Storybrooke_

A conversation was what woke Rose. From the sound of it, the speakers weren't even attempting to keep their voices low, causing the headache she'd only just become aware of, to throb viciously with every new word. Just as the chatter was showing signs of ending, a new male voice joined the exchange, much to her annoyance. She forced her eyes open to find the ones responsible, determined to tell them to shut the hell up. The glaring brightness that greeted her made her hiss in pain. Pushing past it, and this time taking the extra caution of gradually let her eyes adjust, Rose found herself staring up at a white ceiling.

"What?" She croaked, grimacing slightly. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton and her throat was dry and itchy, triggering a small coughing fit that left her head aching even worse. The irritating voices from before stopped and Rose sighed in relief, barely resisting the urge to return to her dreamlessness sleep. Instead, she slowly sat up, pleased that being vertical seemed to help her headache rather than make it worse.

"Ah, you're up. Good. I'm Dr. Whale." The male voice she'd heard earlier stated. Rose blinked, leaning back as an attractive doctor appeared at her left side. "You suffered a minor laceration to the head." He gave her a charming smile. Too bad for him, the effect was lost on Rose who was only irritated at waking up in what was clearly Storybrooke's hospital. "Could you look into the light for me?" He asked, pulling out a penlight from his pocket and flashing it into both of her eyes. "Well, eye dilation is normal, so no concussion. Follow my finger please." She did so and he hummed appreciatively before picking up a nearby clipboard and writing something down. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Uh, well yesterday was Tuesday, so I'm really hoping that today is Wednesday." She answered, looking past Whale to see two female nurses watching them with interest. Paying them no mind, Rose felt her head for the mentioned injury. She found a relatively small patch of cotton and gauze located just above her right eyebrow. Well at least she found the cause for her headache.

"Don't worry, you've only been here for about six hours." Whale said, smirking as he set the clipboard back down and adjusted his coat. "And your name please?"

"Rose Booker." She answered, her eyes going over the room. It was decently sized, with four beds in all. She was sitting on the one closet to the door, the other beds vacant. It had the typical plainness that all hospitals had, white walls, white floors, white bed sheets. The only color that caught her eye was the large window at the back of the room, giving view to the neighboring woods.

"Do you remember how you got your injury?" He asked, reclaiming her attention almost immediately. Rose felt her brow furrow in thought, irritating her cut as a result. She remembered Henry showing up and that they'd gone to Storybrooke. They'd been leaving when–

"A wolf." She said out loud, recalling what had caused their car accident.

"I'm sorry?" Whale asked and Rose looked up at him.

"There was a wolf was in the road. Emma swerved to avoid it, but the car hydroplaned and she lost control. I'm not sure what we ended up hitting, but it was hard enough for me to smash my head into the dashboard." She explained, frowning as she massaged her right shoulder, only just noticing that it felt sore. The seatbelt probably left a pretty decent bruise.

"Storybrooke doesn't have any wolves." The doctor replied in confusion.

"Or it could have been a dog." She offered with a shrug. "All I know is that there was some kind of canine in the road."

"Huh, well you seem to be fine at least." He continued with a nod. "The sheriff was alerted that you've woken up, so he should be here soon. Your friend wasn't hurt, but she was taken in for suspicions of driving under the influence." Rose held back a glare. ' _So that's how Emma got arrested in this episode. Stupid wolf. Stupid Regina._ ' Instead, she smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, we both had a drink at the mayor's, but I don't think Emma even finished hers. It certainly didn't seem that strong." She chuckled, earning a good natured smile from the man.

"Well, if you could just fill out these forms, you'll be all good to go Ms. Booker." He handed over a different clipboard and pen. As Whale left the room, his eyes roamed over her, likely thinking she wouldn't notice. ' _Way to be subtle, doc._ ' She thought more amused than offended. Rose couldn't remember who Whale was, but she had a distinct feeling that he'd been rather special compared to the other people in Storybrooke.

It took her only about ten minutes to fill out the forms and she handed them over to one of the nosey nurses from earlier. Her backpack and laptop were either in the car or confiscated so she settled for freshening up in the bathroom, running her fingers through her shoulder length hair and gritting her teeth at any snarls. Exiting the bathroom, she paused at seeing the sheriff standing a few feet away with his back to her.

Rose had always liked and pitied the Huntsman's character in the show. It had never seemed fair to her how his role in everything had played out. He let Snow White escape the Evil Queen and it had cost him his heart, where he served her for an unknown amount of years. Then he spent twenty-eight years under the Curse, stuck as Regina's sex slave, only to be killed as he finally broke free of both her and the Curse. ' _Well, it's not going to happen now._ ' She thought firmly. 'If worse comes to worse, I'll sneak into Regina's vault and steal his heart back.'

"I take it you're the sheriff." Rose greeted, earning his attention. He turned to her, the corners of his mouth shifting into a lopsided grin, emphasized by the stubble on his face. "You were at the mayor's last night, right?"

"Ah, yes I was. How are you feeling?" The Huntsman asked, his big blue eyes resting on her injury before making eye-contact. She waved him off easily.

"I'm fine. It's just a small cut. I didn't even need stitches." She answered, resisting the urge to scratch it. "How's Emma?"

"Not hurt, though she is currently sleeping in one of my holding cells. I was planning on heading over to the station after asking you a few questions."

"You mind if I join you?" She asked.

"Not at all, makes my job easier." He held out his hand, smiling. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Sheriff Graham." She reciprocated the handshake genially.

"Rose Booker." With that, they began to make their way out of the hospital. It, of course, wasn't a large building, being only two floors—well, three if you counted Regina's secret basement. She frowned thoughtfully.

That reminded Rose of another thing she wanted to change. She didn't like the idea of leaving Belle, her favorite Disney princess, down there to suffer. Rose knew only too well what it was like to be locked up, but freeing her could cause numerous problems. For one thing, Belle didn't have any memoires. Not of the Enchanted Forest, or even Cursed memories for a Storybrooke persona. Regina hadn't bothered.

If she did break Belle out, what then? Revealing her to Rumplestiltskin could be disastrous or great depending on how he reacted. Would he lash out a Regina as he'd done on the show, messing up how Emma was meant to break the Curse, just to get his pound of flesh? Or would he keep a cool head, scheming and plotting like usual, but aligning with whatever actions opposed the Evil Queen out of spite? How would an amnesiac Belle affect him? Would he be distracted by her? Would Regina find a way to use the Beauty for her own machinations, blackmailing the Beast to do her bidding?

On the other hand, Rose could keep Belle a secret, rescuing her from the asylum and tucking her away somewhere safe. Where would that safe place be, though? And wouldn't she just be exchanging Belle's padded cell for a different kind? As coldhearted as it sounded, it might be best to just let things play out the way they're supposed to. That inhumane option left a bitter taste in Rose's mouth as her stomach roiled in protest. She forced herself to shelve the issue for now. She'd come back to it later.

As she followed Graham out of the hospital, she kept an eye out for the locked door that led to the basement, but didn't come across it. The building's layout was simple, separated into long hallways with rooms of various sizes on each side. They ran into Whale on the way out, who smiled in passing, and soon they were outside in the chilly October morning. She shivered, missing her blue jacket very much at the moment, and rubbed her bare arms.

"Here." The sheriff said as he pulled off his thick leather coat and handed it to her, his lopsided smile returning. He was wearing a dark green dress shirt underneath a brown vest and a dark blue tie. She took it appreciatively, smirking as the sleeves went past her hands. While she wasn't a tall person, Graham was clearly on the other side of the spectrum, likely 5'11" or so.

"Thanks, sheriff."

"No problem Ms. Booker." He replied, leading her to his cop car. She mentally pondered over the fact that, whenever she'd sat in a police vehicle before, it'd always been in the back with handcuffs, before sliding into shotgun. "So how did you two end up crashing into the town's sign?"

"That was a sign?" She asked incredulously, as he started up the car and drove. "It felt like we hit a brick wall!"

"The base is a set of stone pillars."

"That would explain it." Rose scoffed. "There was a wolf in the middle of the road." They stopped at a red light and she could just see a white sign at the end of the street. Her heartbeat picked up as she made out the first two words—Mr. Gold's

"A wolf? But there aren't–"

"Any wolves in Storybrooke, yeah I've heard. I'm just telling you what I saw." They took a left turn, the sign disappearing along with her excitement.

"Alright." Graham said, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Anything else?

"Look, not much happened after you left. We chatted with Regina for a little bit and then she offered us drinks. Emma and I didn't even get to finish them before she showed us the door. We were leaving town when a wolf ran into the middle of the road. Emma swerved to avoid it, the bug hydroplaned, and then we crashed into the town's ridiculously fortified sign. Why'd you arrest Emma?" Graham blinked at her rapid speech in surprise.

"Oh, she's not under arrest. I'm just holding her until she wakes up. It didn't look like last night was anything other than an accident, but there was some damage done to the sign that'll need repairs." They continued down the road before pulling in at the station.

"I can cover the damages. We can get everything squared away after you release Emma." She offered as they got out of the car. They silently walked into the station and Graham led the way down a short hallway where Rose could barely hear the tail end of a conversation.

"Oh cry me a river." An unfamiliar voice grumbled.

The room, which was the office and holding cells all in one, was occupied by three people. One was an old, white haired man wearing a dark blue jumpsuit and a faded red bandana around his neck. The second was a bulky, though short in height, bald, bearded man sitting on a cot in one of the holding cells, his grey uniform rumpled and stained. The last was Emma, who looked like she'd only just coming to, though she was quickly waking up at seeing the bandage on Rose's head.

"Leroy, I'm going to let you out." Graham began as he walked across the room, Rose trailing behind him, before unlocking Leroy's cell. "You need to behave. Put on a smile, and stay out of trouble." The man leaned against the bars, giving one of the most sarcastic smiles she'd ever seen, making her chuckle. Leroy glared at her before rolling his eyes and stalking off. Rose had a pretty good guess on who he was supposed to be.

"Seriously?" Emma stated, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"Regina's drinks—a little stronger than we thought." Graham teased with a smile and a nod.

"I wasn't drunk. There was a wolf standing in the middle of the road." The blonde turned to her, frowning. "You okay?"

"It's just a scratch, Swan Lake." She answered and Emma nodded, her worry abated.

"A wolf?" The Sheriff repeated slowly, looking back at Rose in surprise. She wasn't above saying I told you so, but the Evil Queen chose that moment to barge into the room.

"Graham, Henry's run away again! We have to–" Emma and Regina stared at each other with wide eyes. Regina recovered more quickly however and glared as Emma leaned against the cell's bars. "What are they doing here? Do you know where he is?" The irate mayor demanded as she stalked towards them.

"Lady, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house, and I have a pretty good alibi." She replied as she looped her arms through the bars.

"And I was in the hospital." Rose added as she gestured to her head, the sleeve of Graham's coat still covering her hand. Regina's eyes narrowed at her before switching over to the Huntsman and then going back to rest on Emma.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning."

"Did you try his friends?" The Savior prompted, her tone perfectly calm in comparison to Regina's.

"He doesn't really have any. He's kind of a loner." Rose shared a look with Graham, both seemingly silently deciding to stay out of this particular conversation.

"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer? If he's close to someone, he'd be e-mailing them."

"And you know this how?" Regina asked sharply.

"Finding people is what I do." Emma answered easily. "Here's an idea. How about you guys let me out, and I'll help you find him?" 

* * *

_January 22, 1982: Salem, MA_

Rose, something she'd grudgingly begun to call herself since she couldn't remember her real name, stared up at the doctor in surprise.

"I'm sorry Dr. Booker, but what did you say?" The latest stranger asked from somewhere outside her field of vision.

"I said I won't let you take Rose." Booker repeated himself, laying a hand on her stomach as he usually did. She wasn't sure how long she'd been in the hospital, since she'd spent most of her time sleeping, but it had felt like a week at least. During that time, she'd been taken care of by numerous nurses, their blurry faces changing with their shifts. The one constant had been the doctor, who was there almost every time she woke up, tending to her needs and even humming her a lullaby after she'd had a nightmare about that green light.

"Well, I'm sorry doctor, but I have to take her." The man replied. "You don't need to worry. She'll be placed into social services while we look for a family to adopt."

"That's why I'm saying you can't have her." Booker said, picking her up and holding her close to his chest. "Because I want to adopt her." Rose wasn't sure who was more surprised, herself or the unknown man.

"Y-You want to adopt her?" The stranger stuttered and Dr. Booker nodded. "You do realize what a big reasonability that is, don't you?"

"I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't make this decision without thinking it through."

"Uh, well." The man cleared his throat. "We'll have to do a background check and your house will be assessed to make sure it's suitable for a baby."

"That's fine. I've already cleared out my office and turned it into a nursery." The doctor said, rocking her back and forth. She had no idea what to think about this, but… she supposed that Dr. Booker was a good man. She wouldn't mind living with him. Better him than someone she didn't even know.

"You've really planned this out, haven't you?" It was quiet for a long moment before the doctor replied.

"After my wife passed away a year ago, I knew I could never love another woman like her. I didn't want to; it would feel like I was betraying her memory." Dr. Booker said lowly and Rose was able to feel the rumblings from his voice through his chest. "But after spending the past two weeks with little Rose here, I've realized just how lonely I've become. I imagine she's rather lonely too. So I thought that we could be alone together, be a family for each other."

* * *

_October 23, 2011: Storybrooke_

Surprisingly, standing in Henry's bedroom with Emma, Graham, and Regina, wasn't as awkward as Rose thought it would be. As her sister got to work on Henry's computer, the Huntsman right beside her, Rose chose to look around the room, though she stayed on the opposite side of the Evil Queen. The woman had not stopped glaring at her since she'd gotten back her blue jacket and returned Graham's coat before leaving the station earlier.

Henry's room was… different. His walls were covered in pictures cut out from books or printed from the internet. They were drawings, paintings, of men and woman dressed in medieval styled clothes. Some couples were dancing, embracing, or reading. One woman seemed to be locked up in a tower, with a knight at the base of it, sitting on a white horse. There was another image of a man slipping a glass slipper onto a woman's foot. ' _This is kind of bordering on an obsession._ ' Rose thought as she stared at the pictures. Regina was looking at them too—no doubt seeing them in a different light now that she knew Henry knew about the Curse.

Fortunately, not all of his room was dedicated to the residents of Storybrooke. There was a toy replica of Captain America's shield hanging on a different wall, a few Marvel comics and some action figures were on his desk. ' _Kid's got good taste, but Iron Man is way cooler._ ' A sketchbook was off to the side, looking well used judging from the dog eared pages. And a small bookcase that was nearly full. Most appeared to be fiction, such as the Harry Potter series, but there were some nonfiction books too.

"Smart kid." Emma commented after a few minutes. "He cleared his inbox. I'm smart, too. A little hard disk recovery utility I like to use." She held up the item in question, a gift Rose had gotten her a couple years ago.

"I'm a bit more old-fashioned in my techniques." Graham stated from where he was kneeling beside Emma, his tone modest as he watched her work with an impressed look on his face. "Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing."

"You're on salary. I get paid for delivery. Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that I get." She responded distractedly. "Huh. There's a receipt for a web site... and it's expensive. Does he has a credit card?"

"He's 10." The mayor replied flatly.

"Well, he used one. Let's pull up a transaction record… Mary Margaret Blanchard. Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?" Emma asked while Regina frowned heavily.

"Sounds like a nun." Rose remarked, easily ignoring the Evil Queen's icy glare.

"She's Henry's teacher."

* * *

_February 24, 1982: Salem, MA_

"Congratulations, Dr. Booker." A man said cheerfully and she could see him shaking hands with the doctor by the side of her bed. "It's a girl!"

"You would not believe how many times I've heard that joke today." Booker replied jovially.

"Oh, I can imagine." The two turned to her and the man picked her up before gently handing her over to the doctor. "Say hello to your new daughter, Rose Elizabeth Booker." She stared up at him with wide eyes. Her vision had been improving by leaps and bounds so she could finally see Booker's face. He was a handsome man with blue eyes, a stunning smile, and dark blonde hair.

"Hello again, little Rosie." He said softly, placing his hand on her stomach. The comforting action had become so familiar to her lately that she couldn't help smiling a little. "Look, she's smiling! That's the first time she's done that."

"I think you should take that as a good sign."

"Oh she could be screaming her head off and I would still love her." Booker remarked, chuckling a little. "I'm going to be your new daddy now, is that okay?" His words were like a slap to the face. ' _No…_ ' she replied mentally, shifting in discomfort and wanting nothing more than to be as far away from the doctor as possible. ' _That's… not okay… I already… have… a dad…_ ' "I bet you're wondering where the name Elizabeth came from. It was my wife's first name, course she preferred to go by Lizzy. She would've been your mother. Oh, I wish she were still here. She would've loved you so much." She tried to shake her head to tell him he was wrong. ' _I want… my… real family…_ ' A noise escaped her, a small whine that she instantly stopped, and he rocked her back and forth. "Shh, it's okay Rose. I'll take care of you. Just think, today's the first day of us being a family. February 24, 1982."

She screamed.

* * *

_October 23, 2011: Storybrooke_

"Don't you think it's weird that the sheriff isn't here to help us find Henry?" Rose asked Emma as they followed Regina, who was walking briskly down the empty school hallway.

"Well, he did get a call about that disturbance. Who else was gonna take care of it?" The blonde pointed out with a shrug. Still, she felt it was odd that the town's only law enforcer was missing while they searched for the mayor's kid. Regina suddenly cut into a classroom just as the school bell rang, letting out a group of children.

Stepping into the small classroom, Rose got her first real look at Snow White. She was a very pretty woman, though her haircut was a little unflattering. She was modestly dressed in a white knee-length grey skirt, a white top and a matching cardigan. ' _Lips as red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin as white as snow._ ' Disney totally nailed the pin on the head with that description. Her irises were hazel though, and Rose suddenly knew who Henry had inherited his eyes from.

"Mayor Mills, what are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked cautiously, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

"Where's my son?" Rose and Emma stayed at the back of the classroom, watching quietly as Regina reamed the teacher for the whereabouts of her kid.

"Henry? I assumed he was home sick with you." She answered, eyes drifting to them nervously.

"You think I'd be here if he was?" Regina snapped and the teacher gave a meek shake of her head in answer. "Did you give him your credit card so he could find her?"

"I'm sorry." Mary Margaret muttered, her gaze coming back to them as she peered around the mayor's shoulder. "But who are you two?"

"I'm his, I'm his–" Emma stammered, clearly not wanting to say the 'M' word.

"The woman who gave him up for adoption." The Evil Queen interrupted harshly. Rose glanced at Emma, wishing she could punch Regina in the throat for putting that guilt ridden look on her sister's face. Mary Margaret looked stunned for a few seconds, blinking in confusion before she set down her purse, opening it while biting her lip.

"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma asked, accurately picking up on the teacher's distress.

"No, unfortunately not." She pulled out a little black wallet, smiling as she saw that her credit card was missing. "Clever boy. I should never have given him that book."

"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina growled and the teacher was quick to placate her.

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special boy– so smart, so creative, and as you might be aware… lonely." It was silent for a moment, before she continued in a firmer tone. "He needed it."

"What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time" Regina turned away sharply, knocking over a stack of books as she passed them. "Have a nice trip back to Boston." Mary Margaret rushed forward to pick them up, and Rose crouched down along with Emma to help her.

"Sorry to bother you." Emma began.

"No, it's–" Mary Margaret paused, gazing at her daughter openly. "It's okay. I fear this is partially my fault."

"How? Regina was the one who knocked over the books." Rose argued and the teacher looked at her in confusion, eyes quickly darting to the bandage on her head. "Oh, you meant about Henry." She hummed in thought before shaking her head. "Nah, I still say that's Regina's fault." Emma chose that moment to drop a book on her foot.

"How's a book supposed to help?" The Savior asked, regaining Mary Margaret's attention.

"What do you think stories are for?" She answered with a fond smile. "These stories, the classics?" The teacher stood and set the books on a nearby counter before leading them back into the hallway. "There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world, a world that doesn't always make sense." She lowered her voice, eyes dropping to the floor. "See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."

"Yeah, she's kind of a hardass." Emma grumbled. ' _That's the understatement of the year._ '

"I was gonna call her a spiteful bitch." Rose added happily, smirking as Mary Margaret visibly cringed at her crude language.

"No, it's more than her." She argued, shaking her head softly. "He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face—why would anyone give me away?" Mary Margaret stopped, freezing in place as her eyes widened, instantly realizing her mistake. Emma looked as if she'd just had the wind knocked out of her. "I am so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean in any way to judge you."

"It's okay." She muttered, her head low as she avoided making eye-contact with either of them.

"Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have." Emma looked at her curiously and Mary Margaret smiled. "Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

"You know where he is, don't you?" The Savior deduced and the teacher leaned in closer, smirking slightly.

"You might want to check his castle."

* * *

_December 8, 1986: Happy Cottage Children's Home, MA_

Rose sat completely still, staring at Ms. Brown's desk rather than at the woman herself. Ms. Brown was in charge of Happy Cottage Children's Home. She was the first to greet potential parents and always made time to look after the children under her care. She was an older woman in her late fifties who'd never married or had any children of her own. Logically, Rose knew she could have ended up living under the roof of someone much worse, so she tried to never be a bother to the woman, knowing she already had enough on her plate.

Despite her good intentions however, she often found herself sitting in Ms. Brown's office for one thing or another. Just like now.

"You've been here with us for almost a month now." The matron started and Rose said nothing, waiting for her to continue. "Would you like to tell me why you refused to meet the Wilsons?" She remained silent, fiddling with the lose thread of her sweater. She knew she must look like every inch the pouting four-year-old that everyone saw her as, but she was sick and tired of the meetings Ms. Brown setup for her. "Don't you want a family, Rose?"

"No." The word slipped out reflexively and she could see the woman jerk back in surprise. Silently cursing her mistake, Rose braced herself for the harrowing conversation that was bound to come.

"No?" Ms. Brown repeated weakly, paling a little. "Why not?"

"I don't need one." She answered shortly. It was silent for a minute before the older woman spoke carefully.

"Is this about what happened to your father?" She stiffened immediately, completely taken off guard. "Rose, what happened to him wasn't–"

"Don't." She cut in sharply, taking a deep breath. She still felt like crying whenever she thought about Will Booker. Ms. Brown made a pained expression, but nodded, agreeing not to say any more on the matter.

"I'm just worried about you, Rose. The Wilsons are the third family you've refused to meet with." The matron continued, the wrinkles on her face suddenly much more noticeable as she sighed tiredly. "There's a man I want you to see, Rose." Her eyes shot up to Ms. Brown, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "It's not an adoption." She clarified, her tone softening. "He just wants to help you." Anger filled her as she clenched her small fists. She knew exactly what this man was supposed to be. "Dr. Dweller is a very nice man, so please be on your best behavior when you meet him."

"When will I have to see him?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Next Thursday." She stood up, even though she hadn't been dismissed yet, and raced out of the office. Ms. Brown didn't call for her to come back, and even if she had, Rose wouldn't have listened. She ran up the stairs, pushing past Tyler Connick, the newest kid at the orphanage who had taken up the habit of bullying her, and ran to her room, slamming the door shut. She screamed with her mouth closed and aimed a kick at the door, fury helping her ignore the stinging of her toes.

After a moment she let out a heavy sigh, feeling defeated, knowing that she didn't have a choice when it came to seeing a therapist. She slumped over to her bed, refusing to look at the picture on her nightstand and scrunched up her eyes. ' _I'm not crazy, there's nothing wrong with me._ ' She assured herself, just as she had for the past few years. ' _I don't need to see a psychiatrist. I don't need help._ '

She rolled over onto her side, gaze landing on the picture she'd tried avoiding. It was a photograph of her, only a year younger, smiling happily as she sat in Will's lap. His arms were wrapped around her, his perfectly white teeth beaming as they both gazed up at the camera. She frowned at the photo, guilt and sorrow bubbling up in her stomach. A loud bang on her door caused Rose to jump in surprise and she glared at it before burying her face into her pillow.

"Hey weirdo, I hear you gotta go see a shrink!" Tyler's voice sounded only slightly muffled through the door. He really was a nasty boy. "I guess Brown finally realized what a basket case you are, huh?" His mocking laughter was definitely the last thing she wanted to hear. Ignoring him was always the best way to deal with the nine-year-old though, and sure enough he got bored after another minute of heckling and left.

Staring up at the ceiling, Rose decided that there must be a leak in the roof. That would explain why there was water trailing down her face.

* * *

_October 23, 2011: Storybrooke_

The castle, as it turned out, was a wooden playhouse at a rundown park next to a small beach. Rose trailed behind her sister as they stepped onto the rickety monstrosity. Deciding to stand behind the pair a few feet away, she watched as Emma sat down next to Henry.

"You left this in my car." She said while handing him the Once Upon a Time book. He took it without looking at her, tracing the cover idly as he stared ahead at the distant clock tower. "Still hasn't moved, huh?"

"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here, that the final battle would begin." Emma's shoulders slumped at his words.

"I'm not fighting any battles, kid." She muttered, sounding tired.

"Yes, you are. You're here because it's your destiny. You're gonna bring back the happy endings." Henry continued, his voice pitching slightly as he spoke.

"Can you cut it with the book crap?" Emma snapped.

"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me—I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance." Emma looked back at her for support, green eyes wet as she took a breath to steady herself.

"How do you know that?" She asked while still looking at Rose, who nodded in reassurance.

"It's the same reason Snow White gave you away."

"Listen to me, kid. I am not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though." Emma started as she turned to look down at Henry, her tone grief stricken. "I wanted you to have your best chance." She shook her slowly. "But it's not with me." She hopped down from the castle, brushing her hair out of her face as she walked back to the car. "Come on. Let's go."

"Please don't take me back there." Henry begged as he scrambled after her. "Just stay with me for one week. That's all I ask. One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy." His voice broke as he stared up at Emma, sounding on the verge of tears. Rose quickly moved behind him, setting what she hoped to be a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I have to get you back to your mom." Emma replied, not sounding much better than him.

"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!" He protested, a sob catching at the end of his sentence.

"Oh, you want to know what sucking is?" Emma countered, tears spilling down her face. "Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway! My parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital! I ended up in the foster system and I had a family until I was 3, but then they had their own kid, so they sent me back." She stopped and gave a ragged sounding sigh, failing to recover her demeanor completely. She bent down to look Henry in the eyes, smiling weakly. "Look, your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard, and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you, but at least she wants you." Emma's gaze flickered up to her and Rose sincerely hoped that she'd never made her sister, in all but blood, feel unwanted or unloved while growing up.

"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway. That's just where you came through." Henry argued, now crying too.

"What?"

"The wardrobe—when you went through the wardrobe, you appeared in the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the Curse." Emma smiled, scoffing softly as she rubbed a hand over her face.

"Sure they were. Come on, Henry." She started back towards the car and Henry looked up at Rose. She felt her heart break a little at the desperate look he gave her.

"Don't worry kiddo, Emma will break the Curse." She whispered and his eyes widened. "I know she will." He surprised Rose by hugging her briefly before running off after his birthmother and grabbing her hand. She followed the pair at a slower pace, feeling wholly subdued after what she'd just witnessed.

* * *

_March 16, 1987: Happy Cottage Children's Home, MA_

Rose tried not to scowl, she really did. She had to remind herself that, although she was physically five years old, she was actually much older than that mentally. She shouldn't get upset with the other children because they didn't know any better, but it was hard to not resent them for their actions.

She stared down at her book, a small sci-fi novel that she'd managed to steal from Ms. Brown's office, wanting nothing more than to smack the culprits upside the head when she saw that its once pristine pages were now covered with crayons and markers. Taking a deep breath that did little to calm her, she carefully picked up the ruined book and set it gently on the old sofa, knowing that Ms. Brown would find it later and sniff out the ones responsible. ' _Hopefully she'll punish the little brats too._ '

Being a child again was unbelievably boring, annoying, frustrating—and although she wouldn't admit it to herself—lonely. The children of her age group had picked up right away that she was different from them and most left her alone. The older kids didn't want to hang out with someone half their age and Tyler, while he had picked on her for some time, had thankfully been taken in by a foster family. The children never included her in their games, but they never outright ignored her either. It was a happy medium that Rose had no desire to change until they had matured some more. Ms. Brown and the rest of the staff saw her as a recluse, seemingly of the shared belief that she was too shy or something similar to approach the other children.

Rose had never meant to present herself as standoffish. She just didn't have the patience to play or entertain her fellow age-mates all the time. Her mind needed more stimulating activates, but her body was too small and fragile to do much. So she turned to books, using the written word to help pass the time. She'd gained a whole new appreciation for literature.

Another thing that set her apart from the other children was her nightmares—memories that plagued her. She'd been moved to a separate room not too long after arriving at the orphanage, having disturbed the younger kids far too many times with her restless sleeping. During the first few months, she'd often woken up at least once a week in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling, gasping back sobs and screams, denials blaring throughout her mind. ' _They're gone, they're all gone! Mom, Dad, Will–_ '

Rose shook her head harshly, biting her lip to keep her thoughts from heading towards that direction. The front doorbell ringing quickly caught her attention and she entered the foyer, eager for a distraction. A well-dressed man, obviously someone from social services, stood on the porch having a low conversation with Ms. Brown. Behind him stood a teary eyed girl, her blonde hair strung back in a messy ponytail. She was younger than Rose, likely three or four years old, and her breathing was uneven, randomly being interrupted by small sniffles and hiccups.

"What's her name?" Ms. Brown asked, her voice soft as she gestured for the man and girl to step into the foyer. They did so, with the man placing a hand on the girl's shoulder to gently prod her inside.

"Emma Swan." He answered before handing over a manila folder to Ms. Brown.

Rose felt her eyes widen and she took a step backwards, bracing herself against a nearby wall.

She'd thought she'd made it all up. She'd hoped she'd made it up. She couldn't really remember her rebirth that well. She barely remembered a woman and a man in some place cold and dark. The woman had been… held prisoner? And the man had smuggled her to safety? She'd been so tired back then, unable to help falling asleep. The brief memories she had were mere pictures with no sound. Warmth and being cradled in someone's arms, two differently colored eyes watching her intently, and then a bright light of neon green blinding her. When she'd woken up in a hospital's nursery some time later, she'd assumed that she had just dreamt up the entire thing.

However, right in front of her stood a little orphaned girl named Emma Swan, the undeniable proof that what she had awoken to the first time had indeed been real. She couldn't brush this off as a delusion or a coincidence anymore. She really had somehow been reborn into a reality where her favorite TV show—Once Upon a Time—existed.

Rose blinked, realizing that Emma was staring at her. The adults were off to the side now, too absorbed in their own conversation to notice that the little blonde had started crying again. Before Rose could think about her actions, she walked over to Emma and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. She was painfully reminded that she hadn't hugged anyone since Will and felt terribly out of practice as she awkwardly patted the child's back. Emma's small hands gripped her shirt tightly, the young girl quickly devolving into heart wrenching sobs.

"Why didn't they want me!?" She cried, her voice muffled as she spoke into Rose's shoulder. "Imma good girl!"

"Shh, Emma. I know you are." She murmured softly as she rubbed the girl's back in a circular motion, recalling Will did the same for her whenever she'd had a really bad nightmare. She realized Emma must have just been given up by the family that had adopted her. "It's not your fault, you did nothing wrong." She repeated that sentence a dozen more times, doing her best to comfort the heartbroken girl. Emma's sobs soon reduced to stuttering hiccups, the kind that only a toddler could pull off.

She leaned back, setting a hand on the blonde's head. Emma looked up at her with wide green eyes, her expression so vulnerable, and Rose could see no similarities between the child in front of her and the Savior she would one day be. An idea niggled its way into her head, a thought that maybe there was a reason for her being reincarnated after all, that losing the people she loved hadn't been in vain. Perhaps she was here because she was supposed to help Emma, be there for her as the family she never would've had? Maybe she was meant to change things for the better, make sure the happy endings really did come true?

A reason, a purpose, Rose latched onto that thought desperately.

"It's going to be okay, Emma." She muttered as she hugged the little girl again. "We can be a family for each other." She said, oblivious to the adults that were watching them sadly. Rose was only focused on Emma, who stared up at her with shinning, hopeful eyes. ' _We're not like everyone else, we're different. So we'll be alone together._ ' She added silently, knowing that she now had a responsibility to child in front of her.

She would be there for Emma when no one else was.

* * *

_October 23, 2011: Storybrooke_

Rose waited in the car as Emma dropped Henry off at Regina's. From her seat she could see the two women having some sort of standoff, but she knew her sister needed to go through this confrontation on her own. Emma was the Savior, not her. She could stand beside her, offer her support, but she couldn't fight her battles for her. Pulling out her old notebook from her bag, Rose flipped to page twenty-one, skipping the first entry and moving on to the next one.

_E2: Regina tricks Emma into hurting Henry, but they make up by the end of the episode. Regina starts to suspect that Gold remembers everything._

' _Why couldn't I have at least written down a brief summary?_ ' She thought angrily. ' _This is no help at all._ ' Looking back outside, she could see Regina moving to go inside her house, only to turn around quickly as Emma said something to her. She replied before closing the door behind her. The blonde stood there for a long moment before heading back to the car. Rose stuffed the notebook back into her backpack just as Emma got into the bug. They sat in silence for a minute and she patiently waited for her sister to speak.

"I asked her if she loved Henry." Rose turned to her, eyebrows raised.

"Did she answer honestly?" The Savior slowly shrugged her shoulders.

"She believed what she said was true."

"But you're not convinced." Rose prodded. "I'm not either. There's just something off about her, you know?" Emma bit her lip in thought. "And then there's Henry. He's a smart kid and even if he believes everyone in this town is a storybook character. I think, that on some level of his subconscious, Henry understands that there's something not quite right with her either."

"...You think that there's some place here where we could stay for a while?" Emma asked as she turned on the car and pulled out onto the road.

"No idea, but it wouldn't hurt to ask someone." Rose suggested as she smiled at her.

"It's only for a week."

"I have a funny feeling that's all we're gonna need." She replied, looking out the window and spotting Leroy walking down the sidewalk. "Hey, slow down for a sec." Emma did and she quickly rolled down her window. "Hey, Leroy!" She shouted, causing the man to jump in surprise before he turned to her, scowling. "You know any place where we could crash for the night?"

"Do I look like a tour guide, sister?" He grumbled back before continuing to move down the street.

"Aw c'mon. I'll buy ya a drink as thanks." He paused at that, the offer of free alcohol too much to pass by on. Rose smirked; she'd thought she'd recognized a fellow alcoholic.

"Go to Granny's Diner, there's a bed and breakfast. It's the only place in town where you can get a room." He grouched. "And you better pay up, sister."

"Hey, no worries Sunshine." She replied, ignoring his growling. "You know where to find me. I'll be there all week." He marched away, muttering something about crazy blondes, and Rose turned back to Emma, smiling. "Look, I've already made a friend."

"Oh? And here I thought you were trying to make friends with the sheriff?" Emma teased with a sly smirk. Rose opened her mouth to argue, before a thought struck her. The whole reason for why Graham had died was because he'd fallen for Emma, breaking the Curse's hold on him. If Emma stayed away from him, then he should be safe from Regina's jealousy.

"You're right, I like him." She replied instead, pointing at her accusingly. "I invoke the sisterhood rights of finder's keepers. So no hitting on my guy, got it?"

"I wasn't interested." She answered flippantly, still looking too smug for her own good. "Although I think I should take you back to the hospital. That cut on your head seems to be messing with your good sense." Rose hadn't even realized they'd reached the diner until Emma parked the car.

"Hey, did you listen to Graham's voice?" She defended herself, smiling faintly. "Sexy as hell!"

"Ah yes, you're one weakness when it comes to men—foreign accents." They stepped out of the car and Emma noticed a sign by the front door, reading it aloud. "Use backway entrance for Granny's Bed and Breakfast." The blonde looked over the area, spying a break in the overgrown hedges. "Hey, over here." She announced as she stepped through, pushing aside some of the longer branches.

"Would it kill someone to trim these things?" Rose huffed as a branch smacked her in the face, stumbling behind Emma who had the audacity to laugh. Breaking free of the evil foliage, the two looked up at the two-story house that was completely hidden behind the diner. They entered the building and were greeted to an empty entryway covered in cobwebs and dust. If it weren't for the shouts coming from upstairs, Rose would've assumed the place was abandoned.

"You're out all night, and now you're going out again." An older woman's voice echoed from up the stairs which was located only about six feet away from them.

"I should've moved to Boston!" A younger, angrier voice snarled back. The owner stepped into the landing, long dark brown hair swishing through the air as the young woman rounded into the opposite room, a kitchen from the looks of it. She was dressed in a lacey black dress, dark stockings, and knee-length black heeled boots. As Rose looked at the outfit, she could only think of one word. ' _Risqué._ '

"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard." The old woman remarked as she came into view, too busy reprimanding the younger to notice them standing uncomfortably by the door. ' _Ouch, grandma's got some bite to her._ '

"Excuse me?" Emma interrupted, getting the old woman's attention, who stared at them in surprise. "We'd like a room for two please."

"Really?" She asked, sounding hopeful and a little too confused that anyone would rent out a room from her. At Emma's nod, she rushed into a nearby room and returned with a thick ledger in her hands. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square, but as rent is due, I'll waive it." She walked around them and set it on the podium next to the door, a cloud of dust being kicked up as a result.

"Square sounds great." Rose replied easily.

"Now what're the names?" The old woman asked as she picked up a pen eagerly.

"Emma Swan and Rose Booker."

"Emma." A Scottish burr intoned from behind them, causing them to turn. Rose had to bite her lip to keep herself from beaming widely. Rumplestiltskin stood before them, sharply dressed in a dark business suit, smirking slightly as his gaze traveled over Emma almost lazily. His brown hair had brushes of gray through it and his skin tone was rather similar to Rose's. He certainly wasn't a tall man, likely 5'5", and he had a deceptively slim build, which made him look even smaller. "What a lovely name."

"Thanks." Emma replied slowly and he nodded. His brown eyes slid over to her and Rose had to make sure that she kept breathing as they widened almost imperceptibly. His jaw clenched, but he recovered quickly, masking it as a curious tilt of his head. She wondered if it was just her unexpected appearance that had caused his reaction. After all, he'd only ever foreseen the Savior arriving to break the Curse. There was also the little fact that nobody from the outside world should be able to enter Storybrooke.

"I'm sorry dear. I didn't catch your name." He said as he studied her, his gaze darting to her bandaged cut momentarily, and Rose smiled at him. The last thing she wanted was to make an enemy out of the Dark One. Her smile seemed to have the opposite effect though, judging by the tightening around his eyes.

"Rose Booker." She replied genially, just barely catching the way his stance shifted slightly. "I'm Emma's older sister." He blinked at that, likely not sure how to take this new, puzzling development.

"It's all here." The old woman said nervously from behind them as she pulled out a wad of cash and gave it to Rumplestiltskin, who took it with a smile.

"Yes, yes, of course it is. Thank you." He smoothly tucked the money into his pocket, not even bothering to count it as he stared at them. "Well, you two enjoy your stay, Emma," He paused, his stare lingering on her for a moment longer. "Rose." His smile was crooked, she noticed, and it suited him. With a parting nod and a thump of his cane, he was out the door without another word.

"Who's that?" Emma asked and Rose felt no need to hide her grin any longer now that he was gone. She couldn't believe she'd just met her favorite character in person!

"Mr. Gold." The young woman, Red Riding Hood, if Rose was guessing correctly, answered as she lifted up the window's curtain to watch him leave.

"He owns this place." The old woman, who had to be Red's grandmother, added sourly.

"The inn?"

"No. The town." She corrected before waving her hands, as if to brush he conversation aside. "So how long will you two be with us?"

"A week. Just a week." Emma answered.

"Great. Welcome to Storybrooke." She responded as she handed them the key to their room. Rose noticed, with a soft snort, that their key's metal tag had a swan carved into its design. She looked up at the ceiling in amused exasperation. ' _That's a little on the nose, don't you think?_ '

Meanwhile, a few blocks over, the minute hand of the clock tower moved for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT! I can't believe how long this goddamn chapter is. Seriously, somebody hand me a medal or something. I deserve an award for this.
> 
> In all honesty, I'm actually a little pissed at myself for posting this story. I already have so many other things to work on, which I haven't touched in about four years for some, but I still dedicated my time to this instead of working on something else. For those of you who are fans of my other stories, you'll have noticed that I actually did manage to update/edit some of my other works. I will say this right now: This story holds no precedence over the others. In fact, if anything, I can almost guarantee that this will be updated the least. That's not to say that it's on hold, I only mean that my concern will be the stories that have the most reviews/favorites.
> 
> –Hexalys


	2. The Thing You Love Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Emma get a feel for Storybrooke. The Dark One makes a curious deal.

_October 24, 2011: Storybrooke_

"Don't you think it's time you got up?" Emma said to Rose who responded with a muffled groan into her pillow. "It's almost eight."

"Then wake me up when it's noon." That earned her a chuckle from the blonde when a knock on the door made both women pause. "Emma, answer the door and rudely tell them to go away." Emma shook her head at her sister, exasperated and secretly amused, before moving to do as she was asked, though she wouldn't be as impolite as Rose no doubt hoped. Opening up the door, she could only blink in surprise at seeing Regina standing on the other side, holding a basket full of red apples. Maybe her sister had the right idea after all.

"Did you know the honey crisp tree is the most vigorous and hardy of all apple trees?" Emma wasn't sure how to respond to Regina's sudden appearance or her odd choice in conversation. The blonde noticed though that the Mayor was wearing another expensive looking outfit. Her light gray skirt was just skirting the line of decent; her olive green heels matched her green jacket perfectly. Emma tried not to feel self-conscious at her own rumpled appearance. Since she hadn't packed any extra outfits like Rose had, she'd had to sleep in her clothes.

"Ugh, lady, your voice is definitely not the first thing I want to wake up to in the morning." Rose groaned as she rolled over in her bed, giving her back to both Emma and the Evil Queen, trying to go back to sleep. ' _It's too early for a pissing contest. Wait, can women even have those?_ ' Pondering if that saying strictly applied to men only, she still made sure to keep a careful ear on their exchange.

"Charming, and after I came all the way over here with a gift." Regina replied, her tone a bit too sweet to be anything but fake. She turned back to Emma, smiling disarmingly and continued as if uninterrupted. "It can survive temperatures as low as 40 below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl and to this day I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers."

"Thanks." She muttered with a perplexed frown, taking the apple that the Mayor handed her.

"Yeah, we really appreciate you waking us up to tell us useless facts about apple trees." Rose added with a grunt, deciding that going back to sleep seemed to be a lost cause. She climbed to her feet, uncaring that she was dressed in baggy flannel pajama pants and an old batman t-shirt, and joined Emma at the door. She made sure to glare at Regina, before giving the apples a mistrustful look. She wondered if they were poisonous. That had only happened later in the season, right?

"I'm sure you'll both enjoy them on your drive home." The Evil Queen stated with an even smile, holding the basket out for Rose to take. She didn't.

"Actually, we're gonna stay for a while." Emma replied, tearing the grin right off of the Mayor's face, much to Rose's pleasure. Regina gripped the basket tightly, lowering it a little as she quickly recovered her demeanor.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Henry has enough issues." Her frown shifted into a harmless smirk and she shrugged her shoulders lightly. "He doesn't need you confusing him."

"All due respect Madame Mayor, the fact that you have now threatened me twice in the last 12 hours now makes me want to stay more." Emma remarked calmly as she gave the woman an unimpressed look.

"Since when were apples a threat?" Regina asked and Rose scoffed, which normally would've earned her an elbow in the side curtesy of Emma. The fact that she didn't said a lot.

"I can read between the lines. Sorry. I just want to make sure Henry's okay." The blonde continued, obviously trying to keep things civil. Her words had the opposite effect as Regina's smile dropped a little while her eyes narrowed.

"He's fine, dear. Any problems he has are being taken care of." Even her voice had lowered an octave, losing that fake sweet tone to become something with a bit more steel to it.

"Well that's not ominous." Rose muttered and Emma nodded beside her, giving the Evil Queen a shrewd look.

"She's got a point. What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I have him in therapy. It's all under control. Take my advice, Ms. Swan, only one of us knows what's best for Henry." Regina said as she leaned in closer, smile turning sharper.

"Yeah, I'm starting to think you're right about that." Emma countered, raising an eyebrow in return.

"It's time for you to go." Regina dropped all pretenses then, likely realizing that her little act wasn't having its desired effect.

"Or what?"

"Don't underestimate me, Ms. Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"Well, thank you Madame Mayor, for that lovely morning threat. But I'm sure you have more important things to do than be bothering us. Goodbye." Rose took a great deal of satisfaction as she shut the door in Regina's face just as the woman opened her mouth. They waited for a moment, listening to the fading stomps of the Mayor's heels clicking against the floor, before turning to one another. Predictably, Emma was frowning at her, not at all pleased with her blatant rudeness.

"Was that really necessary?" Rose shrugged as she moved back to her bed, gracelessly flopping onto it with a sigh. "Antagonizing her is only going to cause more problems."

"Yeah, you're right of course." She knew, in the first half of season three, that Regina would become an ally, become good. She'd give up Henry to save the town from Pan's Curse. But Rose had almost no idea about what happened after that.

She'd been reborn into this world before the second part of season three had even been aired on TV. All she had to go on was a promo highlighting the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz as the supposed bad guy. There was always the chance that Regina went back to being the villain. It also mattered very little how good she would be in the future, when the Evil Queen was still as black hearted as they came in the present. She was a threat. She was dangerous, more so than Emma knew.

So right now Rose had to look like a mouthy little nobody whose only connection of worth was that she was important to Emma. She had to look like she wasn't a threat. Which obviously shouldn't be too hard judging from the way Regina kept glancing over her to focus on Emma. Good. She wanted to be written off, underestimated. Then, when Regina was least expecting it, she'd pounce with her fangs bared. She'd had plenty of roles throughout this life, but playing the fool had always been her personal favorite. Rose smiled at that thought. Oh yes, she was going to have a lot of fun in Storybrooke.

"Hey Swan Lake, I'm hungry. Wanna go hit Granny's Diner?"

* * *

_June 10, 1967: Wonderland_

"Kneel before the Queen!" Those in the market jolted at the sudden announcement, trumpets blaring as the Queen's guards and court appeared at the mouth of the street. The people did as ordered with little to no hesitation, dread making their hearts beat faster. Her majesty had taken a liking to tearing them out of a person's chest. There were rumors that she even kept them, like trophies, locked away in a special vault. It was such a renowned punishment that the kingdom had taken to calling her the Queen of Hearts behind her back.

As the royal retainers filled the marketplace, the commoners pressed themselves up against the walls, slinking into cracks and narrow alleyways, hiding behind each other and the stands. None wished to be spotted or singled out. The Queen's red palanquin came into view, carried by four servants, and a hushed silence fell over the crowd. The Queen stepped out of her carriage, dressed in an expensive gold and red dress, eyes piercing over the area with a deceitful smile in place.

"Oh now, don't stop on my account. Continue. After all, I'm here to shop as well. Just pretend I'm not even here." No one moved, not even the Queen's entourage. "I said go on." Her darkened tone was more than enough to get people moving. There was a buzzed feeling to the atmosphere, nervous and full of impending doom. The conversations were minimal, where only a few brave souls spoke to reassure those they were with.

The Queen weaved through the crowds, gaze casting about on different people. She paused by a stand and the vendor physically held his breath for a long moment before she hummed and continued on her way. For ten torturous minutes those in marketplace waited for the figurative guillotine to drop, each praying it wouldn't be them or their loved ones who caught the Queen's ire. The smash of glass was what broke the unnatural silence, a terrified gasp and an angry hiss from the Queen accompanied it.

"I beg your pardon your majesty! It j-just slipped through my grip! I d-didn't mean to–"

"Silence." The Queen demanded stiffly and the quivering gray rabbit became mute with fear. She was kneeled at the noble's feet, desperately picking up the shattered glass with bleeding paws. Fresh milk was spilt over the ground, as well as on the hem of her highness's dress. "Animals like you shouldn't pretend at being people, dear. Your kind belongs in the forests." The simpering tone, sharpened with a cruel smile, made the young rabbit hunch in on herself.

"Please your majesty, have mercy! Don't tear out my heart!" No one in the crowd stepped forward or spoke up in protest, cowed as they were. They only held onto their loved ones tightly, looked away, or inwardly cursed the Queen with every foul word they knew.

"Your heart?" The Queen laughed, a polite sound, as if there were nothing wrong. "What would I want with the heart of a simple rabbit?" Her highness swept past and for a moment the rabbit hoped that she been spared. The thought was quickly proven wrong as the Queen turned on her, quicker than a snake. A cloud of black dust was blown from the palm of her hand and straight into the rabbit's face. Gasping in surprise, she breathed it in accidentally, instantly coughing as her chest suddenly burned.

"What– what h-have you done?" The rabbit rasped, each breath bringing with it a fresh, stabbing pain.

"Oh, not to worry dear. It's just a bit of poison." There was a murmur from the crowd and the Queen smiled at them, the action quieting them instantly. "But fear not, I have the antidote. And I'll give it to you if you simply replace the dress you've ruined with another one just as lovely."

"But your m-majesty, I c-couldn't possibly afford nor make a d-dress like that."

"You have three days before the poison ends your life." The Queen of Hearts continued, speaking as if the rabbit hadn't. She sat in her carriage, smiling viciously down at her victim as her servants lifted the palanquin into the air. "I suggest you hurry."

* * *

_October 24, 2011: Storybrooke_

"The Mirror strikes again." Sydney Glass, Storybrooke's leading reporter gloated as he approached Regina, holding up the day's newspaper in his hands for her to see. The front page had a bold headline that read: _STRANGERS DESTROY HISTORIC SIGN_. Underneath was an unflattering photo of the driver, one Emma Swan, after being arrested for the suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Since the other one had been sent to the hospital rather than the station, Sydney hadn't been able to get a picture of her.

"You're late." Regina said without turning away from her apple tree to even glance at the man.

"Sorry. I wanted to bring you the latest edition. I assure you it's one of my better hatchet jobs." He continued happily as she finally turned around to look at the newspaper.

"That's not what I asked for." Regina's cold tone made him frown. "What'd you find out about them?" Still, she took the paper from him, and Sydney could swear he felt his heart fluttering in his chest when her delicate fingers brushed up against his for a brief second.

"Well, the truth be told, there wasn't much to find." He said quickly, moving even faster to step in front of Regina as she walked away from him. "Swan spent some time in a few foster homes and an orphanage. Booker too. She was involved in a sealed case involving her initial adoptive family. I'd need higher clearance to get into that." She scoffed at that and turned around again. "Uh, they got into some trouble when they were younger, but the details are locked up pretty tight. Booker spent three years in prison because of it." She all but slammed the paper into his stomach as he stepped in front of her again. Sidney wished she would just look at him, but she seemed determined, as ever, to barely give him the time of day. "Since then, they've been clean. Bounced around all over. The only thing I really learned was that they don't like to sit still." There, the Mayor glanced at him, but it was not the look he was hoping for. Regina looked annoyed.

"That appears to have changed." She turned away. Again.

"Did you know that, um, Swan had Henry while she was in Phoenix? How'd he wind up here in Maine?" He moved to be in front of her once more, relishing that she finally looked up at him, a smile poised on her lips. His breath nearly got caught in his throat when her beautiful brown eyes gleamed at him.

"So if I'm understanding you correctly," She tore the newspaper from his hands, waving it in air, smile sinking into a sneer. "you found nothing of value, which means you have no value, Sidney. Do you know what I do with things that hold no value to me? I throw them away." He'd wanted her to look at him, but not like this. Not in a way that made his insides shrivel up in dread. He could do better. She expected better of him. He wouldn't disappoint her again.

"I-I'll keep looking."

* * *

"Man, that picture is hilarious." Rose commented as she once again glanced at the newspaper in Emma's hands, chuckling heartily at the image.

"It's not that funny." Emma argued, before rolling her eyes and moving to take a bite out of the apple Regina had given her. Rose eyed it warily. She'd tried convincing Emma that it was probably poisoned and to not eat it, but the blonde had ignored her, mistaking the half-serious warning as a joke.

"Here you go." Ruby said as she appeared in front of them, causing Emma to abandon her apple as two coffee cups topped with whip cream and what looked like cinnamon were set in front of them. From the smell alone, Rose could tell that they were hot chocolate and not coffee.

"Thank you, but we didn't order anything." Emma replied in confusion and Rose had to reluctantly push her mug away.

"Sorry Ruby Tuesday, but I'm allergic to cinnamon." She explained apologetically. Ruby didn't seem at all bothered with this, though she did raise a brow at the nickname. Instead she simply shrugged and took a sip out of the cup, placing her elbows on the counter and making herself comfortable. Clearly she wasn't going to be waitressing anytime soon.

"Well, better not waste it then. You two have an admirer." The skimpily dressed werewolf explained as she nodded to someone behind them. They turned, and to Rose's surprised delight, she found Graham sitting in a booth. Emma gave her a look that she smiled at innocently as the two made their way over to the Sheriff's table.

"Ah, so you decided to stay." Graham said as he leaned back and looked up at them, smiling lopsidedly.

"Observant, important for a cop." Emma remarked, sounding indifferent.

"It's good news for our tourist business, bad for our local signage." His smile fell a little when Emma continued to frown at him. Rose, on the other hand, was openly smirking at his clever little play on words. "It's, it's a joke. Because you ran over our sign?" Emma did an impressive job of looking unimpressed, and his eyes hopped to her, pleased as he pointed at Rose triumphantly. "See? She gets it."

"Look, the cocoa was a nice gesture, and I am impressed that you guessed that I like cinnamon on my chocolate, 'cause most people don't, but I am not here to flirt. So thank you, but no thank you." Emma stated as she placed the mug on the table and Graham looked up at her with wide eyes, before quickly glancing at Rose.

"I didn't send it." She blinked and Rose's smirk devolved into snickering that she halfheartedly tried to muffle behind her hand when Emma glared at her.

"I did. I like cinnamon, too." Henry announced as she stood up from a booth three tables away from Graham.

"Don't you have school?" Emma asked him, her elbow nudging Rose hard enough to make the shorter woman grunt in discomfort. It stopped her laughing effectively enough.

"Duh. I'm 10." He answered as he slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Walk me."

"Just a heads up, Henry, while I love hot chocolate more than anything, I'm unfortunately allergic to cinnamon." Rose informed him as the three stepped out of the diner and began to move down the street, but not before she waved goodbye to Graham.

"Really? That sucks." He said with all the sympathy only a child could have at learning that another person was denied something so delicious.

"So what's the deal with you and your mom?" Emma started, again never one to beat around the bush. Rose fell into step on the other side of Henry, leaving the boy to walk between them. She was tossing the apple between her hands, and Rose hoped that she would drop it by accident.

"It's not about us. It's about her curse. We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one: identification. I call it Operation Cobra."

"Cobra? That has nothing to do with fairytales." The Savior pointed out with a roll of her eyes, but Henry wasn't put out in the slightest.

"Exactly. It's a codename to throw the Queen off the trail." He replied excitedly.

"Smart." Rose complimented and Emma huffed in amusement.

"So everyone here is a fairytale character they just don't know it?"

"That's the Curse. Time's been frozen, until you got here." Emma brought the apple up to her mouth, unknowingly about to doom herself, when Henry stopped her. "Hey! Where'd you get that?"

"Your mom?" She answered in confusion and hr took the apple from her before throwing it over his shoulder. ' _God, I am really starting to like this kid._ ' Rose thought with amusement as Emma gaped at him.

"Don't eat that!"

"I tried to tell her not too." Rose offered solemnly and he nodded at her.

"O-okay." Emma glancing between her and Henry, probably deciding it was better not to ask. "Uh, all right, what about their pasts?"

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything, and you'll see."

"So for decades, people have been walking around in a haze, not aging, with screwed-up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious." A smile made its way onto Emma's face and Rose wondered if she was impressed with Henry's "imagination."

"I knew you'd get it. That's why we need you. You're the only one who can stop her curse."

"And where does Rose fit into all of this?" Emma asked as she glanced at the shorter woman and Henry bit his lip in thought.

"I'm not sure. I-I don't think she's in the book. You were supposed to be the only one who escaped the Curse. But… if that was the case, then she shouldn't have been able to cross the townline. It keeps people from this world from coming in too. Does that mean you escaped the Curse?" Henry said after a moment as he looked up at Rose in confusion, who shrugged in response.

"I couldn't tell ya kiddo. But, not unlike Swan Lake here, I was found abandoned in the woods, with only my name scratched out on a piece of paper." His eyes lit up at that bit of information.

"Then maybe you really are in the book! Maybe your parents found a way to save you that nobody knew about!"

"Doesn't that mean Rose can break the curse too?" Emma asked and Henry shook his head.

"No, it has to be you."

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?" She repeated with no small amount of sarcasm in her tone.

"Yes, and right now we have the advantage. My mom doesn't know that. I took out the end, the part with you in it." He stopped and set his backpack down, unzipping it to pull out a handful of pages that he passed over to Emma. "See? Your mom is Snow White." The first page had a drawing of fair-haired man and a woman with black hair holding a baby wrapped up in a blanket with the name "Emma" stitched on it.

"Oh, kid."

"I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. If you need proof, take them, read them, but whatever you do, don't let her see these pages. They're dangerous. If she finds out who you are…" Henry trailed off as he looked down at the sidewalk before glancing up at his birthmother. "It would be bad." The ringing of the school bell broke up their conversation. "I gotta go, but I'll find you guys later and we can get started." He ran off, glancing at them over his shoulder. "I knew you'd believe me!"

"I never said I did!" Emma yelled as she rolled up the pages.

"Why else would you be here?" He called back before disappearing into a crowd of kids.

"I like that kid." Rose declared with a nod and Emma spared her an amused look. "What? You know I am so not a kid person. Even when we were kids I didn't like kids."

"I seem to remember being the exception to that rule."

"Yeah… that must be why I like Henry." She replied with a fond smirk. Emma caught sight of Mary Margaret approaching them and she offered a wave in greeting.

"It's good to see his smile back." The raven haired woman said as she smiled knowingly at them.

"We didn't do anything." Emma argued and Mary Margaret shook her head lightly in disagreement.

"You stayed." Her smile turned into a worried frown. "So does the Mayor know you two are still here?"

"Oh, she knows. What is her deal? She is not a great people-person. How did she get elected?" Emma asked incredulously and the teacher shrugged.

"She's been Mayor for as long as I can remember. No one's ever been brave enough to run against her. She inspires quite a bit of… Well, fear. I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen."

"Well, he ain't wrong." Rose muttered under her breath, though not quietly enough judging by the warning look Emma gave her.

"Who does he think you are?" She asked after turning back to her mother.

"Oh. It's silly." The teacher said with a blush.

"I just got five minutes of silly. Lay it on me."

"Snow White." Rose wasn't looking at Emma, but she could feel her sister tense up.

"Who does he think you two are?"

"We're not in the book." Emma partially lied, sounding a bit distracted. "Can I ask you a favor? Regina mentioned the kid's in therapy. Do you know where I can find the doctor?"

"Oh, Dr. Hopper's office is just across the street from Granny's Diner." Mary Margaret informed them. "I have to get to class. Leaving fifteen ten year olds unsupervised in one room is just asking for trouble. I'll see you guys around, yeah?"

"Definitely, thanks M&M." Rose said as she waved off the raven haired woman, who was surprised but visibly amused by the nickname.

"M&M?" Emma asked once they were back on the sidewalk, raising a brow at her.

"What? I'm not gonna call her Mary Margaret all the time, it's a mouthful. Plus, people with two first names sound pretentious."

"Whatever. Hey, you wanna head over to the doctor's place or…"

"Think I'll skip. Unless you want me to offend the guy?" Rose asked with a tight smirk and Emma shook her head. "Then yeah, I'll pass. You know I can't stand shrinks."

"Right. Meet you back at the room?"

"Sounds good. Later, Swan Lake."

* * *

_June 12, 1967: Wonderland_

Percy the White Rabbit, paced in his fiancé's, Mary Ann, home. His appearance was not as put together as it usually was. His suit was rumpled, dirty from racing through the underbrush, waistcoat buttons mismatched to the wrong holes, his bowtie clumsily tangled in knots. His respectable bowler hat was missing. He'd forgotten it when leaving the house, too worried, too hurried, to even remember it.

Two days had passed since his beloved had returned from market, poisoned by the Queen of Hearts herself. He had talked to every doctor and healer he knew, but it seemed no one, save the Queen herself, knew how to cure this illness. He had tried to scrounge up enough money to buy a new dress, but his meager savings were not enough to afford something that would meet her majesty's standards.

So he traveled to other Lands in search of help. The fairies and enchantresses he'd pleaded with had been sympathetic, but unable to help. Most of the witches and hags ended up trying to use him as ingredients for potions and the like. The Great Wizard of Oz had been the one to point him in the right direction, claiming there was only one person who could help.

The Dark One.

Percy shuttered at the very title. Never, in all the Realms and Lands he'd visited, had there been a being more feared, save for the Gods themselves. But he was out of options, out of ideas, short of just breaking into the Queen's castle and stealing the antidote himself. Mary Ann had scolded him when he'd muttered that thought aloud, before she'd succumbed to another coughing fit. Percy felt his pocket watch burn and closed his eyes. He had no choice.

He was running out of time.

* * *

_October 24, 2011: Storybrooke_

Rose couldn't resist, not when she caught sight of the infamous sign. Nervousness and excitement bit at her insides as she stepped into the pawnshop, amber eyes flitting across dusty shelves with interest. The bell above the door gave a loud ring, announcing her presence, but there was no one at the front counter and nobody called from the back.

She moved into the store, gaze instantly landing on the two puppets setup in the open, and gave a visible shudder. Right. Sometimes she forgot that not everybody got a happy ending. She doubted these two would ever be returned to normal. Turning away and feeling slightly sick to her stomach, Rose let her eyes drift over the rest of the room, wanting to take in as much as she could. After all, though she may not know their history or who they belonged to, these items had all come from another Land.

Along the shop's ceiling hung a large canoe, sans paddles, where the nautical theme continued to the top shelves following the right wall, decorated with many model ships. Below that where different globes sitting on another self, a couple of ocean inspired paintings hung on the wall, and even a real boat's rudder was propped up in the far right corner of the room. A wooden stand containing six decoratively designed sticks, wands Rose realized with a trill of excitement, were put on display near the cash register.

There were seven beer steins in a glass case, placed next a fine china teacup set. A brass spyglass lay next to a pair of expensive looking monogramed handkerchiefs. Beside that was a teddy bear whose left ear was missing and a rather unique looking baby's rattle. Books were stacked, seemingly at random throughout the shop, some of them being so old and weathered down that she couldn't even make out the titles. Crossing the room to the opposing cabinet, Rose saw that this one was filled with weapons. Daggers of different shapes and sizes took up the first two shelves, while the bottom display case had four short swords laid out on purple velvet fabric. On the back wall behind the case, more weapons were on display. Axes and swords ranging from cheap steel to jewel encrusted sheaths were mounted in a chaotic fashion.

The shop felt so cluttered, which was to be expected as it held the hundreds of things that Rumplestiltskin had hoarded through the years. Continuing her perusal, Rose's sights landed on a baby's mobile with dangling glass unicorn figurines. She had the vaguest sense of it being familiar and gently touched one.

"Can I help you, Mrs. Booker?" She didn't jump or show in any way that he'd startled her, but her heart racing in her chest proved otherwise.

"Mr. Gold." She greeted as she turned to the man, smiling widely even as her palms started to sweat. Rumplestiltskin was, hands down, the most dangerous person in Storybrooke. This was the man who played everybody like puppets, he was a true mastermind. She should be considered suicidal for what she planned to do then. Recognizing how he'd addressed her, Rose gave him a bemused expression. "Uh, I'm single."

"So it's your sister who's married?" He continued, his crooked smile from last night returning. It wasn't a smirk or a sneer, though she could see how others would classify it as such. The right corners of his lips were stretched upwards, revealing a bit of teeth, while his left twitched up only slightly. She found it rather fitting for the man who was more often a villain than a hero.

"Oh god, no." She scoffed at the very thought of Emma being married. He raised a brow at her.

"Well then, I must confess your different surnames have me confused." He gave a contrite huff-like laugh, as if he were just realizing that he was being a little too intrusive. "Forgive me, it's just, names have always been a fascination of mine. And you did say you were sisters."

"I can see how that would be confusing." Rose replied with a shrug, inwardly tensing as she concluded that Rumplestiltskin was already trying to wrangle information out of her. Fortunately, her relationship with Emma wasn't something she wanted or needed to hide. "Long story short, Emma and I met in an orphanage when we were kids. Been together ever since." His gaze stayed trained on her and she nearly jerked back when she realized she'd seen his eyes before in a different face. She swallowed back her surprise and offered a smirk. "Now that I've sated some of your curiosity, maybe you can do the same for mine?"

"Has something in my store already caught your interest? You certainly have a keen eye for hidden treasures." He said as he nodded at the unicorn mobile. "Are you looking for anything in particular, Ms. Booker?" His eyes, Neal's eyes, were sharp and assessing. Even as she turned away, Rose had no doubt he was studying her carefully.

"I guess I'm looking for something with a bit of magic to it." She replied slowly as she pretended to appear interested in a case full of what appeared to be random items. She spotted an old stuffed toy of Mickey Mouse sitting innocently next to a rather gaudy looking necklace and had to push back her laughter.

"Well, you're in luck. I happen to specialize in… magic." He returned lowly, amusement underlining his Scottish brogue. She hid her knowing smile by ducking her head. Rumplestiltskin was probably thinking his words were lost on her, when really it was the other way around.

Rose didn't want to play the fool with him though, didn't want to take him by surprise the way she planned to do with Regina, or for him to write her off either. She'd surprised Rumplestiltskin yesterday just by being here and had doubtlessly caught his attention. Since she was able to cross the town line, he knows that means she must've originally come from the Enchanted Forest. Yet she had somehow escaped the Curse, or perhaps he suspected that she came from another Land entirely. What's more, she was close to the Savior, was practically family to Emma.

Rose half-wondered if he considered her a threat to his plans, before brushing off that notion. She was likely just a passing curiosity to him at most. She hoped it stayed that way, Rumplestiltskin made a far better ally than an enemy.

"Perhaps I can interest you in a magic lamp?" He said with a small grin as he lifted up a lamp that had likely belonged to the Genie, though she couldn't recall what his Storybrooke name was. It looked to be made of gold, decorated with a medley of jewels that would've caught a greedier person's interest immediately. Was he testing her to see if she had a weakness towards riches?

"Only if the genie is still trapped in there." She replied lightly before letting her gaze drop back down to the cabinet. Not surprisingly, something had actually caught her eye. It was a pocket watch of all things, with gold casing, though its luster had faded. It was an open-faced type. The attached gold chain had rather small links, the glass's surface was unscratched, and the numbers were in black roman numerals. The only unique thing about it was the shape of its hands, which were distinctively wavy, and strangely reminded Rose of how the Dark One's dagger looked. "What's the story behind this watch?" Rumplestiltskin walked over, a curious eyebrow raised as his cane thumped gently against the shop's hardwood floor. Recognition, and a look she couldn't quite place, bloomed on his face as he reached down to pull it out—the chain wrapped around his fingers.

"Well, well, it seems you do have a knack for picking out my more interesting items. The glass is made of genuine crystal and the casing is 14K solid gold, rather old too." He glanced at her, expression brightening as his crooked smile returned. "But it's the story behind this little trinket that makes it special, my dear. The tale is that this watch was enchanted to alert its owner when they're running late for something they consider important."

"That's… not very impressive." Rose remarked, honestly a little let down.

"Oh, I don't know." Rumplestiltskin hummed idly as he turned the watch around to look at its face. "It's not unlike a premonition. Though of course, the watch will not tell you what the important event is, nor where it's happening, or what needs to be done about it."

"What happens if you miss the deadline?" She asked, interest renewed somewhat. Had the watch really possessed that ability, or was he just spinning her a tall tale. She didn't think it was the latter. But an item like that would be pretty much useless to Rumplestiltskin, since he already had the ability to see the future thanks to that Soothsayer. So why did he have it, and who had it belonged to beforehand?

"It gets hotter and hotter until it burns like fire. If one is unfortunate enough to be holding it, well…" He let the watch swing back and forth in his grip. "I can think of worse prices for being forewarned."

"So have you ever used it? Just to see if there's any magic left?" She inquired in a teasing tone. He frowned at the watch for a second before putting on an amiable smile.

"Unfortunately, this item is rather picky about its owners. It doesn't belong to someone simply because it's in their possession." Rumplestiltskin glanced at her, mask still in place, even as his eyes narrowed at her in thought. "Perhaps it has taken a liking to you."

"Well, you certainly know how to pitch a sale." She replied honestly before shrugging. "I'll take it." His fake smile turned more crooked and, she suspected, more genuine.

"You don't even know how much it is, Ms. Booker."

"I'm not worried Mr. Gold. I'm sure I can afford it."

"Careful dear." He warned in a teasing tone as he swung the watch playfully. "One should never commit themselves to something without knowing all the details first."

* * *

_June 13, 1967: Enchanted Forest_

In a nameless part of a nameless forest, a white rabbit wearing a suit was waiting for someone. He glanced at his prized possession, his pocket watch, for what felt like the thousandth time, before tucking it back into place. He could feel it growing warmer, even through his layers of clothes. With every tick, time was running out.

"He's late, very late, and I'm not sure how much longer she can wait." Percy muttered, purple tinted glasses titled askew as his nose twitched nervously.

"I'll have you know I've never been late for anything." Rumplestiltskin announced as he revealed himself to Wonderland's Portal Jumper. From his very vague visions, he knew it would be a few years still before meeting another Portal Jumper, one that he'd eventually form a partnership with. The White Rabbit jumped at his voice, a muffled shout escaping his muzzle as he quickly turned around.

"Ah, Dark One. Forgive me, but my watch says you are very nearly late, and it's never wrong." The rabbit stated and Rumplestiltskin giggled, amber eyes landing on the only visible part of the watch, the golden chain, with interest. He could sense powerful magic coming off of the seemingly simple timepiece. It was the only reason he appeared before the rodent. The trinket was very old and very powerful.

"Very nearly is still not late, dearie." He pointed out and the rabbit nervously tugged on his ear.

"True, very true sir." The rabbit startled again, this time for a different reason as he frantically pulled the pocket watch out of his vest, hissing under his breath. His magenta eyes shot back up to Rumplestiltskin, wide with desperation. "Oh Dark One, I beg of you, I need a cure for my beloved. That loathsome Queen of Hearts poisoned her. She does not have much time left!"

"I know what ails her." He cooed as he circled around the White Rabbit, smiling widely as the rodent tracked his movements warily. "And I have exactly what you need… for a price."

"Of course, anything." ( _ **anything, anything, anything**_ )

"Then my price is your little watch." The Dark One leered, stepping close to the creature who cringed back and curled a paw around the timepiece protectively.

"My watch? But it's–"

"Of course, you don't have to part with it. Doesn't matter to me if your true love dies." He continued in a singsong manner, rolling the "r" longer than necessary. To the rabbit's credit, he didn't need much prompting after that. And despite what most thought, Rumplestiltskin had a hefty respect for love. He knew firsthand how powerful it was, how desolating it could be.

"Give me the cure first, then I shall give you what you want, Dark One." The rodent stated, paw clutched tightly around the magical object. Rumplestiltskin chuckled a little, but did as asked. With an exaggerated flick of his wrist, he summoned forth a potion from one of his many stocks back at the Dark Castle, knowing exactly which one he needed.

"You need only have your beloved drink this, and she will be completely healed come morning." He pointed at the rabbit, narrowing his eyes a little. "But she has to drink every drop dearie, or else it won't work. Got it?" The rabbit nodded frantically and Rumpelstiltskin smirked. "Good." He tossed the potion, and the Portal Jumper nearly tripped over himself to catch it, making the Dark One laughed. "Now, the watch." The rabbit gulped, studying him nervously before also throwing over the desired trinket. Rumpelstiltskin made sure to catch it with more finesse.

He snatched the gold chain between his pointer and middle fingers, the momentum causing the watch to fly over his fingers once, the chain wrapping itself around his scaled digits. Rumplestiltskin smirked, gazing at the powerful timepiece, before his smile faded and his amber eyes widened in anger and alarm. ( _ **–lies, deceit, tricked, kill–**_ )

"What is this?!" He spat at the rabbit, who curled around the potion protectively. "What have you done?! I can feel the magic fading!" ( _ **tricked, kill, kill**_ )

"I-I did nothing Dark One. The magic is not f-fading, it's sealing itself. That watch is special—it only works for those it likes. Just having it in your possession doesn't make it yours." The Portal Jumper stuttered, backing up into a tree as Rumplestiltskin closed in on him.

"You tricked me!" He growled as he continued to advance. "You knew I only wanted this damn thing because of the enchantment placed onto it!" ( _ **kill, kill, kill**_ )

"I gave you what you asked for. It's not my fault you didn't know of the watch's nature." The rabbit argued, sounding firm for the first time. Rumplestiltskin halted at that, gritting his teeth as he knew that the rodent was right. With a snarl and wave of his hand, the roots of the tree sprouted upwards, entangling themselves around the rabbit's legs, trapping him. "Wait! Stop! What're you doing?! We had a deal!"

"Aye, indeed we did." He hissed back. "And I honored it, didn't I? I gave you the potion that'll cure your true love." He mocked, smiling viciously as the rabbit tugged at the bindings with little success. "There was no part of our deal that determined what I could or couldn't do after that." He lifted up the now useless watch, eyes gleaming. "Tic toc dearie, who knows how much time you have left." With one last giggle, the Dark One disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

* * *

_October 24, 2011: Storybrooke_

Rose strolled into her shared room with Emma, three-hundred dollars lesser, but fiddling with a possibly magical pocket watch. She hadn't been lying to Rumplestiltskin when she told him money wouldn't be a problem. She wasn't a millionaire, but she was pretty damn close. She paused as she stepped into the room, seeing Emma curled over papers sprawled out on her bed.

"Hey, uh, what're you doing there, Swan Lake?" Emma startled slightly, obviously not having heard her come in judging by the surprised look on her face.

"Oh, hey." She shuffled a few papers around, handing over a few that she must've already read to Rose. "These are the notes Dr. Hopper took from his sessions with Henry." She stilled, glancing back at the blonde as alarm bells went off in her head.

"And how did you get these?" Emma rolled her eyes.

"Relax, the shrink gave them to me."

"He's not allowed to do that." Rose argued, her body tensing in irritation as she set the papers down. This was wrong—an invasion of Henry's privacy. The shorter woman knew she would've felt furious if someone had looked at all the things Dr. Dweller had written about her. "We shouldn't have these." Emma must've caught the edge in her voice, because she put down the page she was reading, watching her carefully.

"I just want to get a better idea about this fairytale thing." Rose said nothing at that, but instead headed over to her respective bed and turned on her laptop. They spent the next few hours in silence when a knock on the door interrupted them. Rose moved towards it, as her bed was closer, and smiled a little when she saw it was her favorite Huntsman.

"Well hey, howdy hey, sheriff." He blinked at her greeting before returning the smile, though it seemed a bit strained.

"'Lo, Ms. Booker. Is Ms. Swan here?" Emma took that as her cue to join them at the door where she graced Graham with a raised eyebrow.

"If you're concerned about the "do not disturb" signs, don't worry. I've left them alone." Her tone was more playfully sarcastic than anything else, but Graham's face still turned flat.

"Actually, I'm here about Dr. Archibald Hopper. He mentioned you got into a bit of a row with him earlier?" The sheriff said while tilting his head and glanced between the two women. ' _Ah._ ' Rose thought in realization as her grip on the doorknob tightened. ' _So, this is how Regina frames Emma._ '

"No." The Savior denied, confusion lingering in her voice. Graham gave her an unimpressed stare.

"I was shocked too, given your shy, delicate sensibilities." Emma smirked a little at his own use of sarcasm. "He says you demanded to see Henry's files and when he refused, you came back and stole them." Her smirk quickly disappeared as he continued, leaning back as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"He gave them to me." The blonde glanced at Rose, who continued to watch Graham with a neutral expression.

"Alas, he's telling a different tale." The situation dawned on her then, her eyes narrowing as she understood that she'd been framed. "May I check your room, or must I get a search warrant?" Emma sighed, simultaneously rolling her eyes as she stepped further into the room, gesturing for him to come in. Rose moved off to the side, leaning against the dresser as the blonde led Graham to her bed where Henry's file was strewed about incriminatingly.

"Is this what you're looking for?" She asked as she gestured to the "stolen" documents.

"Well, you're very accommodating." Graham remarked as he glanced over the papers before turning back to them. "I'm afraid, Ms. Swan, that you're under arrest." He started to put Emma in handcuffs, where she gaped at him in disbelief. He glanced at Rose, looking apologetic. "I'll need to take you in too Ms. Booker."

"Woah, hold up. Rose had nothing to do with this." Graham looked over them, more resigned than anything else.

"I don't suppose you have proof besides your own statements?" Emma's mouth pursed at that while Rose, whose irritation had faded somewhat, could only shrug in response.

"It wasn't me, sheriff, it was the one-armed man." He huffed a small laugh, but Emma definitely wasn't amused as she glared at him.

"You know we're being set up, don't you?" She argued as he began to put handcuffs on Rose too.

"And who, may I ask, is setting you up?" Rose scoffed at his question.

"Well gee, who could possibly have a grudge against Emma and me out of the handful of people we've met?" She asked, taking her own stab at being sarcastic. Graham said nothing, not raising to her baiting, as he gathered up the papers and stuffed them back into the file. He tucked it underneath his arm, securing it against his side, before placing a hand on both of their forearms. His grip wasn't tight on Rose's arm, but firm as he directed them out the back door of the bed and breakfast and over to his car. The ride to the station was just as short as it had been the day before and they were escorted inside where Rose had to sit and wait her turn to being processed as he began taking Emma's mug shots.

"You know the shrink is lying, right?" Emma tried again, her tone irritated. The camera went off and Graham went about… resetting it? Geeze that thing was old.

"To the right, please." She did as directed. "Why would he lie?"

"The Mayor put him up to this. She's gotta have something on him. He's terrified of her—like everyone else in this town." Emma deduced as she stared at the floor in thought. Graham paused for a second before gesturing for the blonde to turn.

"To the left. Regina may be a touch intimidating, but I don't think she'd go as far as a frame job." Rose snorted at that, turning it into a cough when he looked at her.

"How far would she go?" Emma asked seriously, no longer willing to let bygones be bygones. Regina had crossed a line with this move, the Savior thought as she looked over at Rose, who didn't deserve to have something like this on her record. Not after everything else. "What does she have her hands in?"

"Well, she's the mayor. She has her hands in everything."

"Including the police force?" The blonde asked shrewdly and Graham narrowed his eyes at her, obviously offended at the very correct insinuation. Rose wouldn't hold it against him though, knowing he had no choice in the matter.

"Hey!" Henry shouted as the ten-year-old suddenly charged into the room, Mary Margaret trailing behind him, her cheeks a little flushed. Rose pulled out her pocket watch, reminding herself she still needed to show it off to Emma, and saw that it was five minutes past noon. It had to be their lunchbreak—the two must've raced over as soon as they could.

"Sup kiddo." Rose said in greeting while stuffing her watch back into her pocket. "Hey M&M." The teacher's nickname made Henry smile.

"Henry, what're you doing here?" Graham asked as he turned towards the two newcomers.

"His mother told him what happened." Mary Margaret answered disapprovingly and Emma scowled.

"Of course she did." The blonde muttered before turning to her son, frowning. "Henry, I don't know what she said–"

"You're a genius!" Henry shouted and Emma stared down at him in confusion while Rose tilted her head at him, equally bemused.

"What?"

"I know what you guys were up to. You were gathering intel…" He hesitated for a second before continuing, seemingly less confident when neither of them started agreeing with him. "For Operation Cobra?"

"I'm sorry. I'm a bit lost." Graham put in, honestly sounding a little hurt that he didn't know what Henry was talking about. Rose paused at that, curious about the relationship the two must have. Graham was probably the most influential male in Henry's life, considering his connection with Regina. Did Henry view him as something like a father-figure?

"It's need-to-know sheriff, and all you need to know is that Ms. Blanchard's gonna bail them out."

"You are? Why?" Emma asked, staring at Mary Margaret.

"I, uh, trust you." She replied to her daughter's question before smiling weakly.

"Well, if you can un-cuff me, I have something to do." Emma said as she raised her wrists. Rose copied her, wiggling her eyebrows at Graham invitingly as he unlocked the blonde's handcuffs.

"Unfortunately, I still need to take your pictures Ms. Booker." He stated as Emma rubbed her now free wrists. Rose sighed before walking over to where she needed to stand. She smiled at the camera, getting a giggle from Henry and a half-hidden smile from the sheriff as she crossed her eyes, then turned to the right.

"Thanks for bail, M&M. We'll pay you back as soon as we get to an atm."

"Oh, it was no problem." The school teacher said as she shook her head dismissively.

"Well, I doubt that." She countered lazily, as she switched to the left, still grinning. Seriously, teachers didn't make much money to begin with, paying for two bails had to of taken a dent out of whatever savings she had. When Graham was done and Rose was un-cuffed, she caught sight of the conspiring look on Emma's face.

"Where are you guys going?" Henry questioned, obviously wanting to tag along.

"Need to do a little gardening." Emma replied lightly as she led the way out of the station, smirking in a way that made Rose want to rub her hands in anticipation.

One hour later she was grinning so widely, it hurt. Glancing up from what she was carving into the tree's trunk, Rose looked at her sister and nodded, signaling that she was almost done. Emma turned on the chainsaw, something they'd bought from the tool store located just a block over from the bank. The carving tools in her hands, also bought at the little store, pulled back to reveal a heart with two thickly carved words in the middle— _Suck It!_

Immature? Definitely, but it conveyed her feelings adequately enough and continued her ruse as a bit of an idiot. The chainsaw easily sliced through a branch, and there was a pleasantly resounding crash as it smashed into the ground, apples tumbling about. It was then that Regina finally made her way into the backyard of her house.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She shouted angrily as she briskly walked towards them.

"Picking apples." Emma returned just as viciously as she tossed the chainsaw behind her. Rose dropped her tools, no longer having a use for them, and moved to stand beside her sister.

"You're both out of your minds!" Regina snarled as she glared between them.

"No, you are if you think a shoddy frame job's enough to scare us off. You're gonna have to do better than that." She growled and Rose nodded in silent agreement. "You come after us one more time and we'll be coming back for the rest of this tree. Cause lady, you have no idea what we're capable of." Emma smirked as she walked away, Rose trailing behind her as she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Your move." The faux-blonde called smugly from over her shoulder, briefly winking at the fuming Evil Queen. Triumphant, the women left Regina to her butchered tree and victoriously made their way back to Granny's Bed and Breakfast, still snickering at the initial look on the mayor's face. "I'm just saying. You gave Regina that brand new chainsaw by leaving it there." Rose groaned as she followed her to their shared room.

"I'll pay you back." Emma said with a roll of her eyes and the faux-blonde snorted.

"Please, I bought that thing for a steal. It's not the money I'm worried about. It's her coming after us with it like some kind of cheesy, horror movie slasher."

"You're still on about that?" The younger woman asked drolly.

"You gotta admit that she kind of gives off a Voorhees-mom vibe." Rose replied as she gave an exaggerated full-body shudder, which made Emma laugh. Their humor was cut short though as Granny appeared behind them, wringing her hands nervously.

"Ms. Swan, Ms. Booker?" She started, getting their attention. She became obviously flustered as her gaze switched between the two women. "Oh, my, this is terribly awkward. I need to ask you both to leave. I'm afraid we have a no-felons rule. It turns out it's a city ordinance."

"Let me guess the mayor's office just called to remind you?" Emma asked with a knowing tone and Rose huffed an exasperated sigh. Granny looked both embarrassed and apologetic.

"You can gather your things, but I need to have your room key back." Emma said nothing as she handed the Swan key over to Granny. The two silently made their way into their room and gathered up what few things they had.

* * *

"They destroyed city property. I want them arrested." Regina growled in greeting and Graham barely withheld a sigh. He glanced over the mayor's favorite apple tree, eyes zeroing in on the heart and subsequent words carved into its trunk and swallowed back a chuckle. He had a good guess at who was responsible for that tasteful addition.

"Again?" He asked, both annoyed and tired. Annoyed because Regina barked orders at him like he was her trained dog and tired because he knew that he would submit. He wasn't even sure why anymore. At one point, he thought it was because he loved her—but this debacle with Ms. Swan, and how Regina was reacting to it—was beginning to open his eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" She demanded, as if he should've done what she wanted automatically.

"I'm just not convinced arresting either of them is the right plan." He argued calmly. Regina would never listen to him if she thought he was disagreeing with her. She stood up then, abandoning her task at gathering her fallen apples, and glared. Graham raised his arms in a surrendering gesture, hoping to convey that he wasn't looking for a fight, but also trying to be firm. It was strange, he actually couldn't remember the last time he called her out on something like this. "And I'm not talking about your tree." He shook his head before lowering his voice. "I mean, we both know they didn't steal those files."

"Oh, do we?" The mayor asked just as quietly, lifting an eyebrow at him as the corner of her lips twitched faintly. He knew that tell—Regina was lying.

"They both looked pretty shocked when I leveled the charges against them."

"Guess they don't like being caught." Regina replied snippily as she turned around and resumed picking up apples. Graham wasn't fooled, and he be damned if he pretended otherwise.

"Or because they were set up." He made sure to keep his tone neutral. "And if they were, that means Dr. Hopper was lying. And if he's lying, that means that someone asked him to." Regina stood back up and Graham stared at her steadily. "Are we really confident that the man's conscience won't eventually get the best of him?"

"I think your schoolboy crush on Ms. Booker is clouding your judgment." Graham leaned backwards at that, honestly taken aback. A crush? Sure, Ms. Booker was rather pretty and funny too, and her golden eyes were stunning, but did Regina really believe that? He pushed that thought aside and refocused on the mayor as her expression shifted into a glare. "Remember, I made you sheriff, and I can take it away just as easily."

"You want me to arrest them again, I will." He said, irritation filling his tone.

"Good." She crouched down once again and Graham gritted his teeth at her dismissiveness.

"But they're gonna keep coming at you." He continued, not willing to bite his tongue like usual. "And I know you, you're gonna keep coming at them and you will do whatever it takes to get them out of here and you may succeed."

"No, I will succeed!" Regina shouted as she turned to him. "He's my son. It's what's best for him." Her words echoed the same vulnerability she'd had when Henry had run off to Boston only two days ago. It was the first time Graham could ever remember her looking afraid.

"I know that's what you believe. Okay?" He started softly, frowning at her. "But if this escalates, it seems to me the only one who will get hurt is Henry."

* * *

The walk of shame to the bug, although really more like a march of anger, had both sisters pausing when they caught sight of the boot fastened to the front wheel.

"Reggie just won't let up, will she?" Rose grumbled irritably and Emma scoffed as she finished putting her long-sleeved shirt over her tank top. They started making their way across the street, when Emma's IPhone rang. She answered without look away from the metal clamp on her car, all but growling in answer.

"Yeah?" Rose couldn't hear who was on the other line, but she could take a guess as Emma's expression turned to distaste. An angry glance from her all but proved that it was Regina. "You have no idea." She replied to whatever the mayor had said. Emma tossed her coat into the bug, pausing for a second before slamming the door and hanging up without another word.

"Reggie?" She asked knowingly and the Savior nodded, turning in the direction to said woman's house. "How'd she get your number?" Emma stopped for a second, brows furrowing in thought before shrugging.

"Don't know. Does it matter?" She responded tersely before continuing her trek down the sidewalk.

"Did she say what she wanted?"

"Only that she wants me to come to her place to make peace."

"It's a trap." Rose concluded seriously and finally Emma stopped to look at her.

"Aren't you being a little paranoid?" She asked with a raised brow, which Rose returned in double.

"Isn't this the same woman who tried to frame us this afternoon? Didn't she go to Henry's school just to tell him that we'd been arrested? Trust me Swan Lake, there is no way she wants peace." Emma sighed, running a hand through her hair, suddenly looking rather tired.

"And what if you're wrong? What if she got a wakeup call or something? Can I really chance not burying the hatchet for Henry's sake just because she's been a royal bitch?" Rose grimaced. She knew Regina would be an enemy for some time to come, but she couldn't prove that. Emma would just have to figure that out for herself the hard way.

"Just… be careful, okay?" She couldn't remember what Regina had done in this episode, her notebook certainly hadn't cleared anything up, but hopefully her warning would help somehow. Preempt some of the damage, whatever it may be. Predictably, Emma rolled her eyes.

"You're not coming along?" Rose shook her head.

"Sounds to me like this is a maternal fight. She considers you the threat here, Emma, not me. I'm gonna go down to the station to see if I can't get that boot removed." She answered as she nodded back towards the bug. They parted ways, heading in opposite directions.

Rose walked towards the station, taking her time as she examined the stores she passed. There was a small butcher shop astutely named "Chop Shop". Next to it was an Italian restaurant simply titled "Tony's" with an ice cream parlor on the other side called "Any Given Sunday". At reaching the police station some minutes later, Rose learned that Graham was currently out. Prepared to wait, she had just eased herself into a chair when her phone went off.

"City morgue!" She said cheerfully, only for her smirk to drop as Emma's furious and worried voice answered back.

"You were right. It was a trap. That bitch." Rose stood up, phone pressed hard against her ear. Her sister sounded out of breath, like she was running. Or like she was trying not to cry. "God, I screwed up, Rose."

"Alright, calm down. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

"She tricked me, got me talking about how I don't believe Henry and how this curse thing is crazy." There was a barely audible swallow as Emma tried to catch her breath. "He was standing right behind me. She knew he'd be there."

"Oh, Emma." The older woman groaned as she face-palmed.

"I know, I know."

"Where are you?" Rose asked to which she got an aggravated sigh.

"I don't know. I tried chasing after Henry, but I lost him on the streets. I tried checking his castle, but he wasn't there. I think… I think we should just leave. I've already screwed up the kid's life enough." Her voice had lowered to a whisper by the time she finished and Rose clenched her eyes shut, biting back the urge to argue.

"You know, we still haven't paid back Mary Margaret for bailing us out earlier." She trailed off, when Emma didn't answer right away.

"I'll meet you over at her place with my half of the money. After that…" The silence between them lingered.

"Right. I'll see ya there Emma." She sighed after hanging up, barely refraining from smashing her fist into something. Damn her faded memories. She could've prevented this.

"Trouble?" Rose whipped around, hand half-raised to attack, stopping herself quickly when she saw that it was Graham. Fortunately, he wasn't standing next to her, or else she probably would've been charged with assault. "Whoa, easy. It's just me." He raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me. I've got five years of kickboxing under my belt." She said it like it was joke, purposefully forming her fists by tucking her thumb under her fingers, and raising them in front of her in a girly fashion. Graham bought it, looking amused and shaking his head at her.

"Keep your thumbs on the outside. You're less likely to break them that way." He chuckled as he took off his leather jacket and hung it up on the coat stand. "Now, what can I help you with Ms. Booker?"

"Rose." He blinked at her.

"I'm sorry?"

"You can call me Rose, sheriff." She offered, smiling a little as he continued to stare.

"Ah, alright. You can call me Graham then." He said after clearing his throat and she gave him curious look.

"Wait, so Graham's your first name? What's your last?"

"Humbert." She tried to keep her expression polite, but her twitching lips gave her away. Oh god, that had to be one of the dorkiest surnames she'd ever heard. "Yes, I know." He sighed, not even offended by her response. "That's why I go with Sheriff Graham. Now, what can I help you with, Rose?"

"Well, Graham Cracker." She started, smirking as he seemed more bemused at the nickname than insulted. "I'm here about the unfortunately misplaced clamp that's been attached to Emma's car. We weren't parked illegally or anything, I so can't imagine why it's there." He grimaced, gaze dropping to his desk. Rose sighed and made a show of going for her pocket watch rather than just looking at her phone. Ten past four. "I'd love to sit down and banter, but I have to go find Emma. She just ran afoul of the Evil Queen." Graham watched her guardedly as she tucked the watch back into her coat pocket. "I'll come back tomorrow about the car. Maybe you can come up with a liable excuse besides "Regina made me do it." She turned and left, not seeing the ashamed look on the man's face.

* * *

_June 13, 1967: Enchanted Forest_

The White Rabbit struggled to break free of the gnarly roots wrapped around his feet and legs. He tore at them viciously, paws starting to bleed as the bonds failed to loosen even an inch. Fear and exertion made his breathing ragged, and he instinctively reached for his pocket watch before stopping. How much time did Mary Ann have left? Was he too late?

A howl broke his thoughts. It was loud, the canine obviously close, and the rabbit's body naturally started trembling at hearing a predator so close when he was clearly trapped. He clawed at the roots more desperately. There was a rustle in the bushes and he froze, eyes casting over the dark forest wildly. A growl permeated the air and Percy's shivering doubled.

He spotted the beasts eyes first, one blood-red and the other as black as night. Then he saw its' teeth, gleaming and sharp. He couldn't help the terrified scream the burst from his mouth. He automatically tried to back away, but with his legs still trapped, all he managed to do was fall over.

"Someone help!" Percy screamed as he reeled back and the wolf advanced. "Please! Anyone!" The creature stalked forwards, taking slowly paced steps, body low and hackles raised. The growl blaring from its throat was monstrous. The rabbit could only shut his eyes, not wanting to see his demise firsthand.

"Stop!" A male's voice called from deeper into the trees. Miraculously, the wolf listened. Its ears flicked back before it ceased its growling, resting on it haunches calmly, although it kept its hauntingly mismatched eyes on Percy. A young man broke past the bushes, bow and arrows strapped across his back. The hunter, for that was what he surely was judging by his weapons and the animal pelt cloak, looked taken aback as his eyes landed on the Realm Jumper.

"You're a rabbit." The hunter stated, and had Percy been in a better frame of mind, he would've snorted at the obvious statement. "And you're wearing clothes?"

"Of course I'm wearing clothes." Percy rebutted indignantly, his fear retreating. "What? Would you have me running about in my knickers?"

"No, I just meant–"

"Never mind all that." He said quickly, hope renewing itself as his heart raced wildly in his chest. "Please, free me hunter, I must get back to my fiancé. She's been poisoned and I need to give her this cure as soon as possible or else–" This time Percy cut himself off. The young man stared at him for a moment before approaching. He said nothing as he crouched down, but instead swiftly pulled out a knife hidden in his boot and began to cut away at the roots. "Oh, thank you, thank you!"

"How did you get trapped like this?" The hunter asked and Percy sighed.

"The cure I needed, there was only one person I knew who could provide it—the Dark One." His voice had lowered as he spoke the wicked imp's title, terrified that just saying the moniker would summon that horrible creature back. The hunter paused, before continuing, his pace noticeably faster. "What I traded to him is a very particular magical object, one that chooses to only work for those it likes. When he found out, he was quite angry."

"I would imagine so." With a final thrust of his dagger, the rabbit was freed. He stumbled slightly and righted his glasses, before smiling up at the young man.

"Thank you. And I apologize for my rudeness, but I must be off. I pray I am not too late." The White Rabbit tapping his foot against the ground to create a portal back to Wonderland, much to the hunter's confusion, and looked up to him once more. "May I have your name good sir?" The human paused.

"I have no name, but some in the nearby village call me the Huntsman."

"Well then, Huntsman, should our paths ever cross again, I will repay this debt anyway that I can."

* * *

_October 24, 2011: Storybrooke_

Rose was waiting outside Mary Margaret's loft which was, coincidentally, across the street from Rumplestiltskin's—Mr. Gold's pawnshop. The Cursed Snow White lived in a mixed-used building, something more commonly found in crowded cities. Her apartment was over a small store called Jolene's Arts & Crafts. Staring at the pawnshop, Rose considered dropping in before thinking better of it. She'd established a good first impression in her meeting with Gold. It would be enough for now.

She pulled out her watch, twirling it through the air as she tried to remember how this episode ended. She couldn't though. All she could rely on was the simple sentences she'd written over twenty years ago. ' _Regina tricks Emma into hurting Henry, but they make up by the end of the episode. Regina starts to suspect that Gold remembers everything._ '

It was obvious that these first few episodes had held very little interest for her. It was only later into the season, and the latter seasons, where she'd started writing more descriptive summaries. She also noticed, when rereading her notebook earlier, that anything involving Rumplestiltskin had received the most details.

"Hey." Her sister panted in greeting, causing Rose to jerk in surprise. Emma's arms were wrapped around herself to fight off the cold. She hadn't retrieved her jacket from the car. And judging by her red nose and her slight shivering, she must've been outside for a while. "Where'd you get the watch?"

"Bought it at Gold's." Rose answered as she nodded to the store. She tucked it into her jacket, subtly casting her eyes over her sister. Emma's shields were up, that much was obvious. She had that patented I-don't-want-to-talk-about-my-feelings look on full blast. "So, wanna head in?" She asked instead, following as Emma lead the way to lofts entrance, which was behind the building. A glance down the sidewalk showed the neighboring buildings were also mixed-use developments. "Who'd you ask to find out where M&M lives?"

"Ruby. You?"

"Bumped into my drinking buddy again. You know, Sunshine?" She got a nod in return. They entered the complex silently, climbing a set of stairs. Rose nearly stumbled into Emma when she came to a sudden stop outside of Mary Margaret's door. "Yeesh. A little warning would be nice."

"We're here." The blonde knocked on the white wooden door, its paint long past the point of needing a new coat. There was a lull for a few seconds, Emma shifted her stance only once, and Mary Margaret opened the door, blinking at them in surprise.

"Hi. We just wanted to say thank you and, um, pay you back the bail money." The Savior announced as she handed over the envelope containing said money.

"You look like you need to talk." The teacher replied as she accepted the proffered money with a smile. She stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in, and Emma froze for a second before stepping into the apartment. Rose dutifully followed in after her. The apartment was large, with more space than what Mary Margaret evidently knew what to do with. There was a lot of extra furniture that she probably didn't even use, but were simply put there to hide how empty the place must feel. No doubt that had been Regina's whole point. Big places like these always felt lonelier when lived in by a single person.

They stepped right into the main room, which had that open concept thing that those ridiculous home makeover shows always gushed about. Cupboards, countertops, a stove, and the fridge made up the back wall, partnered with a small island that had a sink, and a pair of stools tucked in the other side. A little off center from the room was a simple square wooden table with four mismatched chairs. Next to the table, and only a few steps from the door, was another, even smaller table with two different armchairs pushed up against the brick wall.

There was more space beyond that, squaring up into a spacious alcove which was obviously the living room area. There was a small cabinet, shelves filled with books and little knickknacks, with a desk lamp, and a radio on top. In the right corner there was a floor lamp, next to a small circular table with a globe sitting on it. Besides the table stand was a wicker couch, decorated with cushions, pillows, and a knitted quilt. Another table rested in the opposite corner, a small lamp being the only thing on it.

The bathroom, the only room that had walls in the entire apartment, took up the back corner area, separating the kitchen from the living room slightly. It wasn't a large section, perhaps 5x8 feet. The walls were white, with fogged glassed windows to make the apartment seem brighter. The bathroom door was in the kitchen's area, but it was shut so Rose couldn't see inside.

On the opposite side of the room there was a staircase that led up to a loft, and underneath it was obviously Mary Margaret's bedroom, which lacked both walls and a door, though she did spy a curtain tucked up against the wall. From what Rose could see, Mary Margaret's room had a very innocent feel to it. Like most everything else in her apartment, white seemed to be the color of choice. White metal bedframe, floral white sheets, white bedside table, white lamp, white dresser, white vanity. It was a good thing most of the color was either faded or chipped or it would've been headache inducing. She couldn't tell what was upstairs, but Rose was almost certain the area that would eventually become Emma's room.

She ran over a perspective eye over the living room again, taking in its size. If she switched out the couch for a futon, got rid of the useless armchairs and unneeded table, moved around a few things and put in a slim dresser—maybe got a curtain as well... Rose nodded. Yes, she could make it work.

"Make yourselves comfortable." Mary Margaret said as she gestured at the table and started making herself busy in the kitchen. Emma herself was taking in the apartment, brows furrowing as she also realized how big it was. Sitting down on Emma's left, Rose ended up in the seat across from M&M, who came over to them a moment later, carry two mugs.

"Thanks." Emma muttered as she accepted her cup, while Rose nodded appreciatively and took hers as well. The blonde took a sip, green eyes widening in surprise. "Cinnamon?" Rose sulked and set her drink down with a regretful sigh.

"Oh, sorry." The teacher apologized as she once again returned to the kitchen, looking at them from the other side of the island. "I should have asked. It's a little quirk of mine. Do you mind?" She grabbed her own cup of hot cocoa, along with a plate of cookies, and rejoined them at the table.

"Not at all. Rose is allergic though." Emma answered, taking another sip.

"I'm so sorry! I'll make you another one."

"It's fine M&M. I'll definitely have a cookie though, unless they're cinnamon too?" The raven haired woman shook her head, smiling a little as Rose helped herself to three cookies. She offered the plate to Emma, who shook her head.

"No, thanks." The Savior waited a moment, glancing over the Cursed Snow White curiously. "When you bailed us out, you said that you trusted us. Why?" Mary Margaret smiled sheepishly and ducked her head, staring down into her drink rather than making eye contact.

"It's strange, ever since you arrived here—I've had the oddest feeling like we met before." The school teacher began, directing her words more towards Emma. "I mean, I know it's crazy." The blonde shook her head at that, smiling a bit bitterly.

"I'm starting to reevaluate my definition of crazy."

"For what it's worth, I think you're both innocent." Mary Margaret added, sounding slightly more confident.

"Of breaking and entering or just in general?" She asked sarcastically and the other woman just shrugged.

"Whichever makes you feel better." Emma chuckled halfheartedly.

"Doesn't really matter what anyone thinks we did or didn't do." She paused, voice dropping in defeat. "We're leaving. Thank you for everything, but I think it's for the best. If I stay, Henry's only gonna keep getting hurt."

"What happens if you go?" Mary Margaret questioned worriedly and Emma didn't seem to have a response. M&M furrowed her brows, realization dawning on her face. "I think the very fact that you want to leave is why you have to stay. You care about him. Both of you do." She said as she glanced at Rose before gazing back at Emma. "Who will protect Henry if you won't?" That last statement had the most effect. Emma shut her eyes, hands tightening around her drink, thinking hard and weighing her choices.

"Rose? What do you think?" She breathed after a minute, green eyes landing on her, seeking advice and support just as they always had. Rose brushed the crumbs off her hands, humming in thought.

"Well, if you think it's best to leave Emma, you know I won't stop you. However, I can't help but think about Regina and what she did." She put her elbows on the table, linking her fingers together as she gazed over them to look at the two women. "Sure, her goal was to sabotage your relationship with Henry. But he's the one who got hurt as a result. That fact alone should have dissuaded her from the very beginning." Her tone turned serious, expression morphing into a glare. "I can't help but wonder if she's done this before—hurt him just so that she could get her way. And what if she does it again?"

Rose refused to feel guilty as she voiced the nagging thoughts that were no doubt already plaguing Emma's mind. She'd long since grown skilled at manipulating others, and she didn't doubt that she'd be doing it a lot more in the future, but it was for the best—or so she told herself.

As expected, her words affected the blonde. Her sister's expression switched from being indecisive to determination almost immediately. Across the table, even Mary Margaret had seemed to perk up, smirking rather than giving a smile.

"You're both right. I gotta fix this." The Savior said as she stood up, jaw clenched.

"How?" M&M asked and Emma smirked.

"Regina told me Henry has a session with his shrink after dinner." She glanced around the room for a clock while Rose pulled out her watch.

"It's 5:33 now. Do you want me to go with you?" She asked, and a flash or uncertainty washed over Emma before she swallowed and nodded.

"Yeah. Last time I went solo didn't work out so well." She turned to their host. "Thanks for the talk and hot cocoa."

"And the cookies." Rose added as she swiped another for herself and led the way out of the apartment.

"It was no problem." Mary Margaret replied happily as she shut the door behind them. The brisk October air greeted them as they stepped back out onto the street. Emma practically jogged the entire way to Archie's office, stopping by the bug only to retrieve the pages from the book Henry had given her earlier that day. She quickly read through them with Rose doing the same over her shoulder. Emma stared at that drawing of her as a baby swaddled up in her blanket for a long minute. Wordlessly, she resumed their jog to Archie's office, not even pausing to knock on the door as she let herself in. Archie rose from his chair, quickly moving across the room and fidgeting with his hands as he glanced between the two women nervously.

"Ms. Swan, look I can explain. The mayor forced me–" Emma, a little out of breath, cut him off with a roll of her eyes.

"I know. Don't worry about it—I get it." She looked over to Henry, who was on the couch and glaring at the floor. "Henry, I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk to you." He muttered, sounding disheartened.

"Ms. Swan, if she knew either of you were here–" Archie began before Emma interrupted him again.

"To hell with her." She growled before sitting down in Archie's chair. Rose plopped down in the open spot next to Henry, smiling as the boy look up at them moodily. "Henry, there is one simple reason I stayed here: you. I wanted to get to know you."

"You think I'm crazy." He grumbled and Rose wrapped an arm around his shoulders, knowing all too well what it felt like to be the kid who had to see a shrink.

"No, I think the curse is crazy, and it is." She shook her head before looking to Rose and taking a deep breath. "But that doesn't mean that it isn't true." Henry glanced over at her from the side of his eyes. "It's a lot to ask anyone to believe in, but there are a lot of crazy things in this world. So what do I know? Maybe it is true."

"But you told my mom–"

"What she needed to hear." Emma replied, smiling sneakily. "What I do know is that if the curse is real, the only way to break it is by tricking the Evil Queen into thinking that we are nonbelievers, 'cause that way, she's not on to us. Isn't that what Operation Cobra was all about? Throwing her off the trail?"

"Brilliant!" Henry cheered as he leaned forward, smiling eagerly.

"Well it was my idea." Rose piped in, making her sister scoff. "Okay, it was a joint effort."

"The point being," Emma started, giving her a look to shut up. "I read the pages, and Henry you're right, they are dangerous. There is only one way to make sure that she never sees these." She stood up, crossing over to the fireplace, and tossed the pages in with little fanfare. Well, that had certainly been improvised. Hopefully they wouldn't need those later on. "Now we have the advantage." He jumped off the couch and hugged Emma, who sighed in relief as she returned the embrace.

"I knew you were here to help me."

"That's right, kid. I am. And nothing, not even a curse, is gonna stop that."

"How about we head over to Granny's for some hot chocolate, my treat?" Rose offered as she stood, giving Archie a stiff nod as the three headed outside. The cricket let them go without making a fuss, although he looked even more nervous. Perhaps fearing what Regina would do to him by letting them take Henry.

"Bye Archie, I'll see you tomorrow." Stepping outside, Emma smiled as she walked beside Henry, hands tucked in her pockets. Rose paused behind them, eyes landing on the dark figure on the other side of the street. The cane gave him away more so than the flickering streetlight. She smiled, though Gold likely didn't see it, and began to whistle as she pulled out her pocket watch, twirling it through the air as she joined Emma and Henry.

* * *

_June 13, 1967: Wonderland_

Percy nearly collapsed as he dashed into Mary Ann's home, puffing and wheezing as he held the cure aloft. His soon to be mother-in-law stared at him, tears streaming down her face, eyes gleaming on the phial in his paw.

"Is that–" He nodded hurriedly.

"Am I too late?" It was something he'd never had to ask before. His watch had always let him know if that was the case. As such, he could understand why the older rabbit openly stared at him in confusion before shaking her head.

"No, but you must give it to her now!" He leapt up the stairs at her answer, racing down the hall even though his feet, legs, and overworked lungs screamed at him to stop. Barreling into the bedroom, he approached his fiancé's beside, lifting her head gently as he poured the potion down her throat. For a moment, when nothing happened, he feared the worst.

"…Percy?" Her voice was weak, but it was so much better than the hoarse whispers he'd heard hours ago. "Love?"

"Yes darling, I'm here." He gasped, a sob of overpowering relief burying its way into his chest. He gently placed a paw on her cheek, silently thanking the Huntsman a hundred times over. "Everything will be fine now, Mary Ann. I promise."

* * *

_October 24, 2011: Storybrooke_

Gold watched the Savior, young Henry, and the unexpected visitor make their way down the opposite sidewalk. It was a quiet night out, so he could clearly make out the woman's whistling, a jaunty little ditty that was vaguely familiar. He tapped his cane idly, eyes tracking Rose Booker with suspicion.

She wasn't supposed to be here—or maybe she was? Rumplestiltskin shook his head, frowning in frustration at his own thoughts. His ability to see the future had always been foggy, like a puzzle with far too many pieces missing. And admittedly, he'd misinterpreted his visions on quite a few occasions. Which was why, even though he believed that everything had its destined course, he'd never solely put his plans in fate's hands. That was why he'd needed Emma's name all those years ago, so that his memories would return, allowing him to make sure the Savior did indeed break the Dark Curse.

But while he had not foreseen Ms. Booker's arrival with Ms. Swan, it didn't necessarily mean that she wasn't supposed to be there. After all, she was able to enter Storybrooke and only those from the Enchanted Forest were able to do that. How had she escaped the Curse though? She couldn't be much older than Ms. Swan. She would have been just a babe when the Curse was cast. So how had she gotten to this world when he'd spent centuries searching for a way? Was there a bean he'd missed? Another wardrobe?

Gold continued to ponder over the woman as he made his way down the street. Her parents, whoever they might be, must've been the ones to get her across. And somehow, against all odds, she'd grown up alongside the Savior. Clearly destiny had meddled once again.

It wasn't just Ms. Booker's presence that was startling though, it was how she looked. As soon as he saw her, he was struck by Déjà vu, though he couldn't figure out why. Perhaps he'd run into one of her parents in the Enchanted Forest. He'd have to look into it, as well as learn who Ms. Booker was in this world.

Another aspect that'd caught his interest was her eyes. He knew this world identified them as amber, managing to look gold when the light struck them just right. It had taken him by surprise during their initial meeting. Despite amber being a documented trait in this world, Rumplestiltskin only knew of one other being with eyes like that—himself, when under the Dark One's Curse. But Ms. Booker was not from this world, so did her eyes hint at something more? Or was he just overthinking things? Whatever the case, he would be sure to keep a close eye on the woman. Who knows, she might prove useful to his plans.

"What a mess." Gold announced as he stepped into Regina's backyard, spotting the disfigured tree immediately. The Queen was inspecting the damage herself, brushing and blowing off wood shavings. She turned to him, eyes naturally wary.

"Not for long. What can I do for you, Mr. Gold?" He smirked, unable to resist, and began to slowly circle the tree.

"I was just in the neighborhood; thought I'd pop by." He pointed at her, smirk turning a touch more impish that he hid with a tilt of his head. "Lovely to see you in such high spirits."

"Well, it's been a good day." Regina chuckled. Gold paused for a second, mouth curling into a more genuine grin as he spotted the heart and offensive words that had been carved into the tree's bark. He had little doubt at who had engraved that insult. "I just rid the town of some unwanted nuisances."

"Emma Swan and her sister? Really?"

"Yes. I imagine they're halfway to Boston by now." He scoffed as he picked an apple, glancing at Regina from the corner of his eyes.

"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that. I've just seen them strolling down the main street with your boy. Thick as thieves, they looked." He moved to stand in front of her again, amused to see her smugness replaced with anger. She always was so easy to read when she got mad.

"What?"

"Perhaps you should have come to me." He continued, coming to a stop in front of her and resting both hands on his cane. "If our visitors turn out to be a problem you can't fix, I'm only too happy to help. For a price, of course." Regina laughed shortly as she turned back to her tree.

"I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore."

"To which deal are you referring?" He asked idly while checking over the apple, once again hiding a knowing grin from her majesty. There was a pause before she looked at him from over her shoulders, smiling confidently.

"You know what deal."

"Ah, right, yeah." He chortled, allowing his smile to stay in place. "The boy I procured for you—Henry. Did I ever tell you what a lovely name that was?" He watched as her body stilled. Hmm, seems daddy dearest was still a sore spot. "How ever did you pick it?"

"Did you want her to come to town?" Regina asked as she whirled on him, advancing closer. "You wanted all of this to happen, didn't you? Your finding Henry wasn't an accident, was it?"

"Whatever do you mean?" He remarked lowly.

"Where did you get him?" Gold felt his lips twist at that. Where indeed. He'd had no idea who Henry belonged to when he'd found the boy ten years ago. No, he'd been just as Cursed as everyone else in this town. Fate truly had a sense of humor. "Do you know something?"

"I've no idea what you're implying."

"I think you do." Oh, this was fun. He'd always enjoyed playing these little games with Regina. She was so much more entertaining than her sister and mother. "Who is this woman, his mother, this Emma Swan?"

"I would say you think you know exactly who she is." He smiled at her, practically seeing her suspicions and fears worsen. "Anyways, Rose Booker seems to be the more interesting one of the pair." Especially with how familiar she seemed, though he still couldn't specifically narrow down why. He chuckled as Regina visibly disregarded Ms. Booker, her concerns directed exclusively towards Ms. Swan. That was always Regina's problem—she constantly underestimated others. "Now, I really must be going." He turned to leave, but she easily strode in front of him, what with his damn leg.

"Tell me what you know about her." He frowned, his good mood souring at her demanding tone. He was not one to be intimated though, not as Rumplestiltskin or as Mr. Gold.

"I'm not gonna answer you dear, so I suggest you excuse me." Regina swallowed, but didn't move. "Please." He took a bite out of the apple, watching as she stared at him with a growing hint of alarm. That one word, the stipulation she'd carelessly agreed to long ago, held her in place as he walked around her. He took a perverse pleasure at pitching the apple over his shoulder as he walked away. All he'd wanted to do was reestablish himself, to give her an idea of what was to come. He was no longer the ignorant pawnbroker she'd crafted.

Rumplestiltskin smiled crookedly to himself. He couldn't wait for things to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always had a little bit of sympathy for Sydney's character. More so his Storybrooke, cursed-self rather than his Genie murdering counterpart. I really can't stand people who manipulate others through affection based towards them, if that makes sense. Like, I'm fine with Regina using Snow's love for Charming against her, whether it's a hostage situation or something akin to it. But to use someone who's dedicated to you, to take advantage of them when they're already on your side– I seriously hate that.
> 
> The seemingly out of place passages, the (broken sentences), are actually the thoughts, intentions, and words whispered from the Dark One's Curse and previous Dark Ones. Essentially it is the darkness in Rumple, but given a voice. I imagine, that since he's had the curse for so long, that the previous Dark Ones are more like background noises that can be influential depending on his mental/emotional state. For instance, he didn't outright kill Percy, but he certainly didn't let the rabbit off easy.
> 
> About the White Rabbit's pocket watch… it's not canon. I only wanted to create something original, but could still connect to the OUAT lore. However, I should point out that I've never watched OUAT in Wonderland, so if I portrayed Percy inaccurately, then I apologize. Speaking of OUAT Wonderland, they never gave Percy's wife a name in the show, so I dubbed her Mary Ann, who is named after the White Rabbit's unseen housemaid in the animated movie.
> 
> –Hexalys


End file.
